FATHER  ALOYSIUS  AND  THE  SUPERIOR 


ROMANCE 
ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Reminiscences  and  Romances  Where 
the  Footsteps  of  the  Padres  Fall 


BY 
JARRETT  T.  RICHARDS,  L.L.B. 


Illustrations  by 

ALEXANDER  F.  HARMER 
Santa  Barbara,  Cal. 


ST.  LOUIS,  MO.,  1914 

PUBLISHED  BY  B.  HERDER 
17  SOUTH  BROADWAY 


FREIBURG  (BADEN) 
GERMANY 


LONDON,  W.  C. 
68,  GREAT  RUSSELL  STR. 


Copyright,  1914, 

by 
Joseph  Gummersbach 

All  rights  reserved 
Made  in  U.  8.  A. 


TO 

THOMAS  R.  BARD 

MY  PLAYMATE,  SCHOOLFELLOW  AND  LIFELONG 
FRIEND,  I  DEDICATE  THIS  WORK 

THE  AUTHOR 


691009 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


CHAPTER 

I     ST.  AGNES     .      .      .:     . 1 

II  A  COW-COUNTY  BENCH  AND  BAR       ...      16 

III  AN  ALIBI  AND  A  DANCE    .      .    .  «•     .      .      .     26 

IV  THE  KELLER       .      .      .      ;      .      .      .      .            33 
V  HERMAN  PREVENTS  A  TRAGEDY     ....      42 

VI     OLD  DAVID  SATERLEE 46 

VII     FAREWELL  TO  THE  KELLER 55 

VIII  HERMAN  DESCRIBES  His  NEW  HOME  TO  OLD 

DREAMS 64 

IX     FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S  CAMP 75 

X  SENORA  VALENZUELA,  CARMELITA  AND 

PANCHO 87 

XI     RUHEPLATZ 98 

XII  THE  OLD  TRAPPER  AND  DOMINGO  ORTEGA  .    113 

XIII  DOCTOR  VANDERPOOL  AND  His  POISONS  .      .121 

XIV  EL  ERIZO  AND  THE  CONSPIRATORS      .      .      .127 

XV  A  DINNER  AT  THE  ST.  Louis       .      .      .      .133 

XVI     THE  OLD  MISSION 139 

XVII     HERMAN'S  LAW  CHAMBERS 144 

XVIII  SWEARING  AWAY  His  QUEEN         .      .      .      .152 

XIX  MRS.    TURNBULL    AND    HfiR    MEERSCHAUM 

PIPE 157 

XX     CHAPULE  AND  CHOLO 163 

XXI  A   MUSICALE   AT  THE    MORGANS*        .         .         .         .170 

XXII  A    CAUCUS    AT    THE    WlENERHALLE          .         .         .     177' 

XXIII     THE  ORPHANS'  FAIR 187 

XXIV  WALTER  STANLEY  WANTS  CAPITAL    .      .      .    197 

XXV  THE  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION    >  ;   .      .      .    206 

XXVI  HERMAN  EMPLOYS  A  DETECTIVE  .      .            .212 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXVII  MRS.  STANLEY  MAKES  HER  WILL      .  .221 

XXVIII  A  FETE  CHAMPETRE  AT  LA  LAGUNA 

BLANCA 227 

XXIX  HERMAN  STARTS  CAMPAIGNING      .      .  .   238 

XXX  RANCH  LIFE  AND  DIVERSIONS        .      .  .   246 

XXXI  PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE    .      .  .    254 

XXXII  A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS  .  .   267 

XXXIII  PEDRO  CASTANOS'  DOG  BITES  MR. 

BROOKS        .      .      .      •      •      •      •      •    282 

XXXIV  A  DUEL  BETWEEN  A  GENERAL  AND  A 

CHIEF 294 

XXXV     THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN        .      .    304 

XXXVI     EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  THE  COWBOY    .      .    314 

XXXVII     THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT       .      .    327 

XXXVIII     THE  WHITE  BEAN  .      .      ....      .      .339 

XXXIX     THE  ELECTION  RETURNS    .      ...      .    355 

XL     SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  THE  'SIXTIES  .      .      .    360 
XLI     HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER  TO  MR.  BROOKS  371 
XLII     THE   HOUND,  A   FAITHFUL   FRIEND;   THE 

SON  AN  INGRATE   .      ...      .      .   386 

XLIII     THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS  ...    398 
XLIV     SIR   ROGER  WORSTS    JOHN   MULCAHY   IN 

SHAM  BATTLE         .      .      .      .      .      .411 

XLV     MR.  BUTTS  AND  His  ROUGH-HEWN 

PHILOSOPHY       . 419 

XLVI     HERMAN'S  GRAY  SUNDAY    .      .      .      .      .428 

XLVII     THE  RODEO .      .436 

XLVIII     HERMAN  ENCOUNTERS  BUCKLEY  ON 

MOUNTAIN  CREST  .      .      .      .      .      .   443 

XLIX     WALTER  STANLEY  SEEKS  INTIMACY  WITH 

CARMELITA        .      .      .      ...      .   449 

L     ESPINOSA  BRINGS  BROOKS  TO  TIME    .      .   456 
LI     TRIALS  OF  EL  ROBLAR  VIEJO  CASES  BEGIN  464 
LII     A  DRAMATIC  FIGHT  AND  WATERLOO  FOR 

BROOKS  .  470 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAQE 

LIII     STANLEY'S  TREACHERY  TO  MRS.  VALENZUELA 

AND  CARMELITA 480 

LIV     A  FAREWELL  REUNION  AND  A  FIRE   .      .      .    485 
LV     STANLEY  PLANS   ROBBERY   OF   MOTHER   AND 

RUIN  OP  CARMELITA 495 

LVI     MATRICIDE  AND  AN  AVENGER 501 

LVII     THE  CRISIS  IN  HERMAN'S  LIFE      .      .      .      .510 

LVIII     DAVID  SATERLEE  AND  BEATRICE    .      .      .      .519 

LIX     WEDDING  BELLS       ...  .   529 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Father  Aloysius  and  the  Superior  ....   Frontispiece 


FACING 
PAGE 


The  Arrival  at  the  St.  Louis 2 

Sigismund  in  the  Tree       .      . 14 

Game  of  Monte  in  the  Olden  Times 22 

Carmelita  and  Pancho 96 

Ruheplatz 104 

Domingo  Ortega  and  his  Pets 120 

El  Erizo  and  his  Ox-cart 130 

Chapule  and  Chorso 164 

Tom  York  Treading  the  Wine  Press 292 

The  White  Bean 340 

Don  Ygnacio  and  Senor  Ordaz 438 

The  Rescue  of  Herman  from  the  Wild  Bull                   .  440 


ROMANCE 
ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 


CHAPTER  I 

ST.    AGNES 

You  may  not  be  able  to  find  among  the  patron  saints  of  the 
old  missions  of  Alta  California  or  among  the  towns  that  dot 
its  valleys  west  of  the  Coast  Range  of  mountains;  nor  even 
if  you  had  time  to  devote  a  twelve  months'  diligent  search 
in  that  huge  wastebasket,  known  as  Bancroft's  Native 
Races,  would  you  probably  encounter  a  namesake  in  any 
familiar  favored  spot  of  California,  of  that  pure  virgin 
martyr,  "  the  chaste,"  "  the  lamb,"  Saint  Agnes.  And  yet 
she  has  her  vestal  shrine  within  its  walls,  and  guards  with 
her  patronage  a  venerable  mission  church  upon  El  Camino 
Real,  the  Royal  Road  that  rambled  from  cross  to  cross, 
following  the  footsteps  of  the  Padres,  along  the  coast  of 
California,  linking  together  those  temples  of  faith  and  zeal 
and  schools  of  Christian  civilization,  the  Franciscan  mis 
sions,  and  bestowed  her  sweet  name  upon  a  picturesque 
town  at  its  feet,  and  a  beautiful  valley  locked  by  ever-silent 
mountains  and  never  speechless  ocean,  and  upon  —  here 
poetry  must  stop  —  a  political  corporation  existing  under  the 
constitution  of  the  State  of  California,  and  called  a  county, 
and  located  somewhere  between  San  Francisco  and  San 
Diego,  near  the  34th  parallel  of  latitude.  I  am  sure  that  I 
am  correct  in  the  designation,  although  I  am  anything  but 
an  infallible  archaeologist  and  correct  geographer,  and  have 
an  extremely  poor  memory  for  names.  Any  reader  more 
familiar  with  the  country  and  calendar  will  please  correct 
the  error,  if  any,  en  passant.  But  there  are  reasons  why  it 
must  be  Saint  Agnes.  Was  not  she  that  pure  Roman  maiden 


,  '     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 


who  suffered  martyrdom  by  the  headsman's  ax,  rather  than 
make  any  other  than  a  heavenly  alliance;  whose  chaste  soul 
felt  that  it  could  not  exist  within  a  body  denied  by  carnal 
touch;  whose  sweet  image  smiles  upon  and  watches  over 
maidenly  innocence?  Are  not  the  sun's  rays  in  this  genial 
clime  of  which  I  am  about  to  speak,  caressing  and  fervent 
and  the  moon's  beams  wicked  and  witching,  and  the  nights 
balmy  and  seductive;  and  is  not  the  blood  warm  and  rich  in 
the  veins  of  the  Southern  maidens,  and  is  not  the  blush  deep 
and  red  on  their  full  rounded  cheeks?  Do  they  not  burst 
in  a  moment  from  tiny  infant  bud  into  womanly  bloom? 
And  is  not  the  heart  of  woman  the  cradle  of  love?  And 
does  not  love  beneath  Southern  skies  grow  large  and  strong 
and  unruly?  And  was  it  not  a  part  of  the  mission  of  the 
holy  fathers  to  make  the  dusky  virgins  of  the  forest  know 
that  there  exists  a  Christian  grace  that,  above  all  others,  they 
should  keep  enshrined  in  their  bosom,  chastity?  And  then 
the  legend  bears  me  out,  that  on  the  21st  day  of  January  of 
every  year  since  1790,  at  midnight,  this  brave  and  gentle 
saint  leaves  her  shrine  in  the  old  mission,  and  taking  with  her 
her  vestal  lamp  visits  the  bedside  of  every  virgin  within  the 
circle  of  her  protection,  and  displays  to  the  sleeping  one  her 
beatified  face  and  asks  if  she,  too,  would  not,  for  purity's 
sake,  suffer  martyrdom.  And  when  the  visitation  is  done, 
just  before  the  peep  of  dawn,  she  puts  down  her  lamp  with 
a  sigh,  and  the  bells  in  the  tower  tremble  and  send  forth  a 
plaint;  for  never  since  the  day  the  old  fathers  invoked  her 
name  and  blessed  endowment,  has  a  single  one  of  these 
worldly  maidens  preferred  to  have  her  pretty  little  head 
chopped  off  to  being  mated  to  a  gallant  and  robust  youth. 
In  St.  Agnes  then  it  was,  on  an  Autumn  morning  before 
the  first  rains,  when  the  hills  were  brown,  the  valleys 
parched,  the  rivers  dwindled  to  rivulets  —  tiny  silver  streams 
threading  their  way  among  round  stones  and  bowlders  and 
over  quicksands,  through  the  broad  river-bed  that  marked  the 
wayward  course  of  the  winter  torrent,  and  the  roads  were 
ankle  deep  in  dust  and  the  oak-leaves  smutty  and  dust  be- 
grimmed  and  cobwebbed  like  the  black  bottles  in  a  venerable 
wine  cellar,  that  the  overland  stage  conducted  by  the  Hon. 
Wm.  McElhenny,  driver,  drawn  by  six  half-broken  mustangs, 
accompanied  by  a  very  disagreeable  dirty,  north-west  wind 


THE  ARRIVAL  AT  THE  ST.  LOUIS 


ST.  AGNES  3 

which  had  been  ever  since  sunrise  enveloping  horses,  passen 
gers  and  coach  in  a  cloud  of  dust  and  sand,  stopping  up  the 
ears,  blinding  the  eyes,  choking  the  throat  and  sand-paper 
ing  the  teeth  of  Herman  Thomas  who  held  the  seat  of  honor 
on  the  box,  drove  up  to  the  St.  Louis  Hotel,  the  horses  flying 
by  at  a  gallop  and  stopping  instantly  as  the  coach  faced  the 
barroom  door.  "Hello  Billy!  How  are  you,  old  boy?" 
was  the  greeting  from  the  bystanders,  with  a  smile  to  the 
distinguished  driver  —  nobody  looked  at  the  Honorable 
Billy  without  smiling  — "  it  is  fine  weather  you  have  brought 
us  from  across  the  mountains." 

"  Yes,  by  gollee,"  said  a  short  gentleman  in  his  shirt 
sleeves,  with  a  round  jolly  face,  adorned  on  each  side  with 
a  little  black  rabbit-tail,  supporting  with  his  fat  hands  a 
belly  as  plump  and  round  and  quivering  as  that  of  St. 
Nicholas,  with  a  complaining  voice  and  a  shuffling  walk, 
"  you  bring  de  vind  of  de  nord  and  ze  sands  of  de  southern 
desert." 

"  Now,  my  emaciated  friend,"  said  the  gentleman  on  the 
box,  who  had  preserved  the  becoming  dignity  of  the  autocrat 
of  the  road,  and  simply  nodded  his  head  to  the  salutations 
of  his  friends,  "apply  some  electricity  to  that  articulated 
form  of  yours,  and  do  the  honors  of  your  hotel  in  regal 
style  to  this  eminent  lawyer,  Mr.  Thomas,  who  comes  to 
me  with  letters  of  introduction  from  the  prominent  pro 
fessional  men  of  Europe  and  America,  among  them  a  per 
sonally  autographed  one  from  my  old  friend  Dan  Rice,  for 
merly  of  the  arena,  now  running  on  the  Democratic  ticket 
for  member  of  Congress.  Don't  put  him  upstairs  with  the 
women  and  consumptives,  but  give  him  an  airy  room  in 
the  corral,  with  a  china  wash-basin  and  a  bottle  of  flea 
powder,  as  the  gentleman  has  been  reared  in  luxury;  and 
let  him  dine  with  the  cattlemen,  surveyors  and  the  rest  of 
the  eelight  in  the  small  dining-room  and  treat  him  to  some 
marrow  bones  and  a  bottle  of  Burgundy  on  my  account. 
Mr.  Thomas,  Mr.  Latour,  a  French  gentleman  of  dis 
tinguished  birth,  but  reduced  in  circumstances,  at  present 
proprietor  of  the  St.  Louis." 

Herman  was  somewhat  embarrassed  by  this  introduction, 
but  he  was  ready  for  the  occasion,  caught  the  glances  of 
the  lookers-on  with  a  twinkle  of  the  eye,  and  invited  Mr. 


4  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

McElhenny  formally  to  share  the  sumptuous  repast  he  had 
commanded  for  him,  and  was  in  an  instant  at  home  with 
Mr.  Latour,  who  was  to  him  a  familiar  Boniface,  after  his 
own  heart. 

The  St.  Louis  was  the  new  and  fashionable  hotel,  just 
opened,  directly  under  the  contemptuous  nose  of  the  Amer 
ican  hotel  across  the  street,  kept  by  a  lank  red-headed 
Yankee  in  true  Western  style.  It  was  a  square,  sub 
stantially  built  and,  rare  to  see,  two-storied  adobe  house, 
with  a  prismatic-shaped  shingle  roof;  the  first  story  de 
voted  to  bar-room, —  or  office,  as  it  was  spoken  of  before 
the  ladies, —  billiard  room,  and  dining-rooms,  and  the  second 
story  containing  a  little  reception  room  and  bedrooms, 
whose  doors  ar^.d  windows  opened  out  upon  a  corridor, 
which,  supported  by  plain  unornamented  wooden  posts,  ran 
around  three  sides  of  the  house.  It  was  on  this  corridor, 
the  serenaders  used  to  play  and  sing,  and  softly  whispering 
couples  walked  to  and  fro  on  luscious  nights  of  semi- 
tropical  warmth ;  and  from  it  Herman  first  heard  poor  Joe's 
birdlike  voice  carol  forth  like  a  nightingale  upon  the  startled 
air,  in  that  simple,  touching  ballad  written  for  him  by  some 
loving  friend  and  sung,  oh!  with  so  much  sweetness,  and 
tear-provoking  tenderness,  "  Do  not  wound  the  heart  that 
loves  thee."  In  how  many  hearts  in  California  do  the 
strains  of  this  melody  still  echo  and  the  plaintive  words  still 
linger?  No  other  name  than  Joe  need  I  give  to  recall 
the  beloved  singer  who  fell  into  the  arms  of  death  with  a 
heavenly  strain  upon  his  lips.  The  courtyard,  termed  by 
the  Hon.  William,  corral,  entered  from  the  street  by  a 
huge  gateway,  presented  the  appearance  of  a  barracks; 
there  was  a  long,  low,  shed-like  building,  divided  into 
little  single  bedrooms  with  half  glass  doors  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  one  at  the  end,  no  windows,  and  supplied 
with  a  cot  and  a  chair  and  a  small  wash-stand,  ample  ac 
commodations  for  a  single  gentleman  in  a  Cow  County.  To 
the  one  with  the  window  was  Herman,  with  kindly  dis 
tinction,  assigned,  and  somehow  or  other,  when  he  looks 
back,  he  thinks  it  was  much  more  comfortable  than  many 
bed  chambers  he  has  occupied  since,  more  luxurious  in 
appearance,  but  with  few  if  any  of  the  pictures  with  which 
youth's  fancy  glorified  the  walls.  Herman  says  that  he 


ST.  AGNES  3 

never  ate  a  better  dinner  at  the  Trois  Freres  in  Paris  than 
was  served  him  at  the  St.  Louis  in  St.  Agnes  that  night, 
and  the  veritable  Bordeaux  with  the  chill  taken  off  it,  not 
only  sent  a  tingling  warmth  through  his  veins,  but  lit 
a  comfortable  fire  in  his  heart  and  painted  bright  images 
on  the  andirons  of  his  fancy.  He  had  that  afternoon  taken 
a  fine  sleep,  after  three  days  and  nights  staging,  and  felt 
comfortable  and  contented  with  himself  and  with  his  future 
abiding  place,  which  looked  dreary  enough  upon  its  first 
appearance  to  him  through  the  dust  storm.  He  sipped  his 
coffee  laced  with  fragrant  Kirschwasser,  and  felt  that  his 
lines  were  cast  in  pleasant  places;  that  whatever  might  be 
the  obstacles  in  his  future  pathway,  whatever  his  hard 
ships  and  cares,  he  could  find  that  great  solacer,  that 
mediator  between  an  unappreciative  world  and  dissatisfied 
man,  that  magician  of  generous  impulses,  kindly  thoughts, 
forgiveness  and  charity,  a  good  dinner.  He  felt  that  it 
must  be  a  rich  country  and  a  prosperous  people  who  could 
support  that  dearest  of  all  luxuries,  an  inspired  culinary 
artist.  From  the  casual  glance  at  the  scrambling  village 
of  adobes  he  expected  rather  to  be  obliged  to  dine  on  a 
pig  roasted  a  la  Charles  Lamb.  He  soon  learned  that  there 
were  also  people  of  cosmopolitan  education  and  good-breed 
ing,  competent  to  appreciate,  and  during  the  ten  odd  years 
of  flush  times,  able  to  pay  for  Mr.  Latour's  choice  repasts, 
so  that  the  good  landlord  grew  rich  apace  till  in  the  zenith 
of  his  prosperity,  he  waxed  ambitious,  and  erected  a  grand 
hotel,  just  at  the  time  the  close-gleaners  were  coming, 
which  hotel  proved  to  be  the  mausoleum  of  his  fortunes. 
At  the  present  day,  on  a  "  Falling  of  the  Bastile  "  or  a 
New  Year's  day,  when  he  defies  the  gout,  and  permits  him 
self  to  be  mellow,  he  will  tell  you  anecdotes  of  many 
distinguished  people  who  have  been  his  guests  at  the  St. 
Louis,  yes,  strange  to  say,  in  little  out-o'-the-way  St.  Agnes ; 
lords  and  statesmen  and  capitalists  and  political  refugees 
(there  were  no  defaulters  in  those  flush  days)  ;  and  how  the 
great  Wm.  H.  Seward,  when  on  his  trip  of  farewell  around 
the  world,  paid  him  the  spontaneous  compliment  that  the 
breakfast  given  him  at  the  St.  Louis  was  the  best  he  had 
eaten  in  hospitable  and  epicurean  California.  Besides 
tourists  and  land  prospectors,  there  were  in  St.  Agnes  a 


6  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

number  of  gentlemen,  Americans  and  Englishmen  of  edu 
cation  and  good  breeding,  true  pioneers,  nearly  all  of  fine 
physique,  fearless  of  hard  work,  and  possessing  energy, 
enterprise,  enthusiasm  and  the  ever  accompanying  love  of 
fun  and  frolic  and  spirit  of  deviltry,  and  who  had  interests 
in  the  different  outlaying  cattle  and  sheep  ranches,  as 
proprietors  or  as  major  domos;  also  United  States  officers, 
surveyors  and  engineers,  gentlemen  of  the  army,  the  navy 
and  the  marine;  and  Spaniards  and  Mexicans  who  had  still 
some  remnants  of  the  proceeds  of  their  former  estates,  of 
gentle  and  polite  address  and  generous  free  spirit.  These 
were  the  people  who  ate  Mr.  Latour's  fine  dinners  and 
drank  his  choice  wines  and  made  his  hotel  rival,  in  attrac 
tions,  world-wide  distinguished  hostelries. 

After  dinner  our  host  presented  Herman  to  Colonel 
Morgan,  to  whom  he  had  a  letter  of  introduction,  and  who, 
being  advised  of  his  arrival,  had  come  to  tender  him  the 
bien  venu. 

"  Welcome  to  St.  Agnes,  Mr.  Thomas/'  said  he  after  the 
formal  words  of  greeting.  "  Our  mutual  friend  and  your 
old  school  fellow  told  me  you  were  coming  to  pitch  your 
tent  in  the  land  of  the  olive,  vine  and  fig  and  make  a  home 
with  us  in  Arcadian  California.  It  is  hard  to  tell  now  what 
wealth  is  hidden  under  its  wild  grasses,  but  you  will  grow 
to  love  it,  as  have  I,  for  its  beauty  of  scenery  and  sweet 
ness  of  climate  in  which  it  surpasses  my  old  Southern 
home ;  and,  since  the  war  has  devastated  that  and  demolished 
the  venerable  household  gods  which  endeared  us  to  the 
family  homestead,  I  am  well  content  to  end  my  days  here, 
in  peace  and  quiet.  All  we  request  is  a  society  of  refined 
people  who  will  appreciate  its  loveliness  and  prevent  its 
becoming  a  hermitage.  I  understand  you  have,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  border,  suffered  from  the  vandalism  of  war, 
and  we  thus  have  a  common  bond  of  sympathy  and  must 
be  good  friends." 

"  I  am  sure  we  will,"  said  Herman,  "  only  you  must  have 
patience  with  a  youngster  who  knows  little  or  nothing  of 
pioneer  life  and  overlook  his  folly  and  help  him  with  your 
advice." 

"  The  advice  of  one  who  has  passed  the  prime  of  life, 
and  has  gone  through  varied  scenes  of  prosperity  and  ad- 


ST.  AGNES  7 

versity,  you  can  always  have  from  me;  but  I  fear  I  am  and 
shall  continue  to  be  more  of  an  awkward  child  in  what 
you  call  knowledge  of  pioneer  life  than  you,  who  are 
young  and  can  quickly  adapt  yourself  to  new  and  strange 
ways  of  unfamiliar  people.  But  of  that  later;  the  night 
is  charming,  nearly  all  the  nights  here  are,  and  I  suggest 
we  take  a  stroll  through  the  town,"  and  they  started  to 
go  out. 

Col.  Morgan  possessed  a  winning  address  that  at  once 
attracted  Herman  to  him  and  destroyed  his  shyness  and 
gained  him  his  confidence.  He  was,  beyond  doubt,  a  gentle 
man,  and  one  of  the  old  school,  as  we  like  to  term  those 
great-hearted  and  simple-natured  characters,  gentle  and 
charitable  in  all  their  acts,  kindly  in  their  words,  never 
wounding  the  feelings  of  others,  never  having  been  guilty 
of  and  utterly  unable  to  understand  a  practical  joke,  doing 
all  sorts  of  queer  things,  displaying  a  lamentable  ignorance 
and  disregard  of  modern  tricks  and  manners,  laughed  at 
and  loved,  mimicked  and  respected.  Of  dignified  bearing, 
he  was  tall,  rather  slender,  with  iron  grey  hair  and  beard, 
large  blue  eyes  and  a  pleasant  smile,  and  in  ordinary  con 
versation  his  tones  were  low  and  musical  and  he  hesitated 
a  little  in  his  speech,  but  when  aroused,  spoke  with  rapidity 
and  energy. 

While  they  had  been  conversing  in  the  billiard  room,  which 
was  the  rendezvous  of  the  frequenters  of  the  hotel,  there 
was  in  progress  at  a  small  table,  in  the  corner,  what  was 
evidently  an  unusually  interesting  game  of  poker,  from  the 
attention  it  attracted  and  comment  it  elicted  from  a  bevy 
of  onlookers.  As  they  passed  by  on  their  way  to  the 
street,  the  bystanders  suddenly  moved  back  of  the  table  and 
obstructed  their  progress,  at  the  same  time,  one  of  the 
players  exclaimed  angrily: 

"You  are  a  grand  cheat,  a  great  swindler;  if  you  put 
your  hand  on  a  dollar  of  that  pot,  I'll  send  you  to  hell  in 
one  little  instant." 

It  was  a  small  man,  well  dressed,  with  little  black  eyes 
that  seemed  to  flash  fire,  and  a  slight  foreign  accent.  He 
had  one  hand  on  a  pile  of  twenty-dollar  pieces  in  the 
center  of  the  table,  and  in  the  other  was  holding  up  two 
cards.  His  opponent,  who  was  a  tall  man,  in  a  dirty  white 


8      ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

waistcoat  and  long-tailed  black  coat  and  high-crowned  yel 
low  hat,  and  face  like  a  wrinkled  blistered  piece  of  old 
parchment,  had  thrown  down  his  hand,  consisting  apparently 
of  five  cards,  and  the  winning  one,  when  the  other  placed 
his  hand  upon  one  of  the  cards  and  pressing  it  tightly 
to  the  cloth  had  drawn  it  across  the  table,  producing  a 
second  card  which  had  been  skillfully  attached  to  its  im 
perceptibly  gummed  back. 

"  Hands  off  that  money,  sah,  or  by  God,  sah,  I  will  cut 
your  d d  heart  out;  you  insult  a  gentleman,  sah,"  ex 
claimed  the  tall  man,  drawing  an  immense  bowie  knife 
from  some  mysterious  place  —  it  seemed  to  come  from  his 
arm  pit;  but  he  had  scarcely  brandished  it,  when  the  little 
man  was  standing  upon  his  chair  opposite  and  held  an 
ugly  looking  revolver  within  unpleasant  proximity  to  the 
other  gentleman's  nose;  the  hand  not  occupied  with  the 
pistol  had,  in  the  meantime,  by  a  couple  of  amazingly  dex 
terous  movements,  pocketed  all  the  coin. 

"  A  gentleman,  yes,  a  fine  gentleman.  You  are  not  even 
a  gentlemanly  chevalier  d'industrie,  you  are  a  low,  vulgaire 
saltambique.  In  my  country  they  would  call  you  a  common 
thief,"  said  the  little  man,  and  his  eyes  seemed  to  shoot 
sparks,  and  his  finger  nervously  twitched  about  the  trigger. 
Just  then  mine  host  elbowed  his  way  to  the  table. 

"  By  gollee,  Messieurs,  I  have  no  desire  to  baptize  my 
hotel  vid  a  coroner's  inquest.  Mr.  Sigismund  you  vill 
please  return  to  ze  back  pocket  of  your  pantelon  de  card 
vich  you  hold  in  your  hand;  it  is  too  grand  a  trompe,  it 
vill  beat  four  aces  all  ze  time.  General,  if  you  vish  to 
make  brochette  of  Mr.  Sigismund,  you  take  him  in  ze 
kitchen,  vere  dere  is  good  block,  and  de  stains  vill  not 
spoil  it." 

Mr.  Sigismund  laughed  merrily,  concealed  his  trump-card 
in  a  jiffy,  leaped  to  the  floor,  gave  his  black  beard  a  twirl 
with  his  delicate,  womanly  hand,  and  taking  off  his  hat, 
bowed  and  said: 

"  Gentlemen,  all  take  a  little  glass   of  wine  with  me." 

"  No  sah,"  said  the  General,  who  had  discreetly  obeyed 
a  significant  glance  from  Mr.  Latour  and  returned  his 
spit  to  its  hiding  place,  and  was  posed,  his  hat  perched 
upon  his  forehead,  with  one  hand  thrust  in  the  bosom  of 


ST.  AGNES  9 

his  waistcoat  and  the  other  impressively  holding  aloft  a 
bamboo  cane  with  a  huge  ivory  leg  as  handle,  "  no,,  sah, 
I  scorn  to  stand  at  the  same  bar  with  the  man  who  has 
grossly  insulted  me." 

"  You  make  a  mistake/'  said  the  little  man,  turning  his 
sharp  eyes  upon  him,  "  I  addressed  myself  to  the  gentlemen 
present,  not  to  the  sharpers." 

"  What,  sah !  Another  insult !  to  me,  sah,  a  Southern 
gentleman,  from  Virginia,  sah!  You  shall  hear  from  me; 
I  will  have  your  blood,  sah/' 

Turning  to  Col.  Morgan,  he  said,  at  the  same  time  re 
moving  his  hand  from  his  waistcoat,  and  slapping  him  on 
the  shoulder: 

"  Please  act  for  me.  I  understand  that  you  are  a 
Southern  gentleman,  from  Georgia." 

Col.  Morgan  shuddered  and  drew  back  as  if  stung  by  a 
rattlesnake.  His  face  became  scarlet  and  he  exclaimed 
with  anger : 

"  How  dare  you  lay  your  hand  upon  me?  I  have  no 
acqaintanceship  with  you  and  desire  none.  What  do  you 
mean  by  calling  upon  me  to  be  your  backer  in  a  gambling 
brawl?  A  Southern  gentleman?  Rather  a  blackguard, 
disgracing  the  country  you  came  from." 

And  the  Colonel  marched  rapidly  out  of  the  room,  fol 
lowed  by  Herman.  He  walked  on  for  some  distance,  ap 
parently  unconscious  of  Herman's  companionship,  mutter 
ing  to  himself,  "  The  villain !  The  murderer !  The  idea 
of  touching  me."  Then  waking  up  suddenly,  he  said: 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Thomas,  but  I  have  a  loathing  for  that 
man  I  cannot  suppress.  He  is  a  very  bad  and  very  low 
creature  and  the  suspicion  rests  upon  him  of  the  perpetration 
of  a  horrible  crime. 

"What  do  you  think  of  our  little  town  by  moonlight?" 
"  It  is  very  quaint,  and  very  beautifully  situated,  and  the 
spirit  of  romance  lurks  about  it,  and  there  must  be  many 
legends  in  the  wild  passes  of  these  rough  mountains  that 
look  like  the  children  of  the  Alps,"  and,  continuing  mus 
ingly,  he  said,  "  Their  dark  ravines  and  hidden  fastnesses 
and  dizzy  trails  could  be  made  to  tell  many  a  tale.  It  only 
needs  a  poetic  imagination  to  make  them  disclose  their 
treasure.  And  see  how  oddly  the  moon  looks  through  the 


10     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

scraggy  branches  of  that  old  oak  tree  down  upon  that 
red-tiled  roof;  an  old  man's  mischief  and  inquisitiveness 
are  written  on  his  face,  and  hear  the  guitar !  And  what  a 
mellow  voice,  and  such  a  plaintive  air!  Haven't  you  ever 
noticed  how  the  guitar  at  night  seems  strung  with  chords 
from  nature,  and  in  tune  with  all  her  own  notes,,  and  ac 
companying  them  as  well  as  the  lover's  song,  and  how,  far 
away  in  the  distance  the  breeze  bears  the  tinkling  tones  be 
yond  the  flight  of  the  songster,  until  at  last  they  die  out  in  a 
sigh  from  her  great  heart?  But,  you  are  laughing  at  me, 
Colonel  Morgan,  I  am  talking  more  nonsense  than  I  often 
do,  though  I  think  a  great  deal;  but  the  night  and  the 
strange  beauty  of  a  new  scene  bewitch  me." 

"  No;  it  is  a  very  happy  thing  to  have  an  imagination 
which  can  see  and  play  with  the  infinite,  varied  beauties  of 
nature,  and  I  once  carried  about  with  me  an  Aladdin's  lamp  ; 
but  now,  while  I  see  and  listen  to  their  music  and  feel  their 
charms,  they  are  no  longer  wizards  with  me.  My  thoughts 
and  my  dreams  have  dear  living  images  that  have  absorbed 
or  banished  the  ideals.  I  mean  my  two  daughters,  and 
you  will  excuse  me,  if  I  often  talk  about  them;  you  know 
how  garrulous  a  fond  father  becomes  about  his  children." 

"  Are  they  with  you  here  ?  "  said  Herman. 

"  No;  they  have  just  sailed  from  New  York,  and  God  will 
ing,  we  shall  eat  our  Christmas  dinner  together.  Here  is 
to  be  our  little  home,"  said  he,  stopping  before  a  place 
which  had  attracted  Herman's  attention  and  admiration 
as  soon  as  it  came  in  view  by  its  picturesqueness.  Some 
what  back  from  the  street  was  an  adobe  house,  one-storied, 
a  quadrangle  with  a  little  court  facing  the  street,  with 
red-tiled  roof  that  came  down  at  a  sharp  angle  to  the 
wall's  edge  and  then  sloped  gently  off  over  a  corridor  that 
ran  around  the  three  sides  of  the  interior;  and  snow  white 
walls  which  could  only  be  seen  under  the  corridor,  for 
they  were  elsewhere  hidden  beneath  a  dense  and  luxuri 
ant  foliage,  the  glittering  green  reflected  from  countless 
small  glazed  porcelain-like  leaves  of  a  strong  fast-cling 
ing,  ever  blooming  rose,  among  which  here  and  there  hung 
like  cotton  balls,  solid,  never-fully  opening  pure  white 
buds,  the  fluttering  dark  and  light  of  the  frail  Australian 
pea  leaves,  the  dull-hued,  pointed-leaved  passion  plant  with 


ST.  AGNES  11 

its  naked  cross,  waiting  for  the  rains  to  resurrect  its  purple- 
robed  glory ;  the  woodbine,  too,  waiting  for  the  winter-spring 
to  form  and  fill  its  golden  censers  with  aromatic  incense. 
In  the  court  in  a  rustic  fountain  of  rough-hewn  stone,  over 
which  the  dew  plant  crept,  the  water  faintly  splashed.  On 
one  side  of  the  house  stood  an  old  sycamore,  large  and  silver- 
barked  and  wide-spreading;  not  far  above  the  ground  its 
great  trunk  yielding  one-half  its  hugeness  to  an  arching- 
limb,  which  stretched  over  to  a  great-butted  gnarled  live-oak 
and  affectionately  mingled  its  faded  yellow  leaves  with  the 
undying  sombre  green  of  its  forest  companion.  On  the 
other  side,  with  contrast  still  more  sharply  marked,  was  a 
tall  poplar  tree,  rising  from  a  bed  of  brown,  curling, 
crackling  leaves,  holding  its  fasces  high  up  to  the  sky,  beside 
a  mass  of  trembling,  fluttering,  flitting,  swaying,  dancing 
films  of  pale  and  delicate  green,  hung  with  bunches  of 
holly;  and,  sparkling  with  moon-light  spray,  a  wonderful, 
joyous,  youthful,  fickle  growth  from  a  great  gray,  rude, 
furrowed  and  knotted  stem,  looking  like  a  young  girl's  love 
budden  upon  an  old  man's  heart, —  the  marvelous  tree  of  this 
frostless  clime, —  the  fairy-formed  pepper.  Between  the  two 
trees,  back  in  a  corner,  a  quaint  wind-mill  twirled  its  scrawny 
arms  slowly  in  the  lazy  breeze.  A  hedge  of  dense  Mon 
terey  cypress  hid  the  place  from  the  neighboring  lot,  a  high 
and  thick  wall  of  adobe,  capped  with  tiles  protected  it  from 
inquisitive  loiterers  on  the  side-street,  while  along  the  front 
ran  an  iron  fence  on  top  a  base  of  light  brownish  stone, 
quarried  from  the  native  bowlders.  On  each  side  the  gate 
way  was  a  slender  cypress,  and  from  it  led  straight  to 
the  court  and  then  circled  around  the  fountain  a  broad 
walk  of  fine,  glittering  blue  gravel,  in  which  sparkled  in 
numerable  brilliant  shells,  all  stolen  from  the  playground  of 
seals  in  the  sea-washed  alcoves  of  the  Channel  Islands  and 
borne  to  the  mainland  in  the  holds  of  vessels  with  the  furs 
of  their  murdered  former  possessors. 

"  You  see,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  I  have  not  yet  laid  out 
the  place.  Those  inartistic  patches  of  fragant  flowers 
and  the  creeping  plants  I  have  left  just  as  I  found  them.  I 
made  the  rustic  fountain  and  erected  the  wind-mill,  as  curi 
ous  a  looking  one  as  I  could  design.  When  my  daughters 
were  in  Europe  the  younger  took  a  great  fancy  to  wind- 


fr2  EOMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

mills,  and  fell  in  love  with  the  historic  one  at  Pottsdam, 
and  I  thought  I  would  surprise  her.  I  have  not  yet  fur 
nished  the  house.  I  mean  that  they  shall  divert  them 
selves  in  household  as  well  as  in  garden  work  and  show 
their  own  taste  in  both.  And  it  is,  I  am  sure,  excellent,  per 
fect  indeed  when  they  are  mutually  satisfied." 

"  Is  there  a  great  difference  in  their  ages  ?  "  asked  Her 
man. 

"  No ;  one  is  nineteen,  the  other  twenty ;  but  they  differ 
greatly  in  character.  The  elder,  Martha,  in  dignified  and 
conscious  womanhood,  seems  to  occupy  and  assert  towards 
Anna  the  relationship  of  mother.  Anna  has  a  happy,  care 
less,  joyous  disposition,  and  will  always  be  a  child,  and 
relies  entirely  upon  her  sister's  advice  and  direction.  I 
sometimes  dread,"  continued  the  Colonel,  with  a  sigh,  "  the 
effect  of  a  separation  of  the  two  upon  my  poor  child 
daughter." 

They  strolled  back  towards  the  hotel  by  a  different  route 
and  through  an  avenue  of  luxuriant  pepper  trees,  a  narrow 
lane  serving  as  sidewalk  to  a  broad  thoroughfare,  carpeted 
with  a  lace  work  of  weird  shadows,  wrought  by  the  moon 
beams  through  the  breeze-swayed  feathery  foliage,  which 
mysterious  shadows  kept  constantly  moving,  twining  and  un 
twining,  interlacing  and  then  unravelling  themselves  like  a 
tangled  line  cast  in  the  water,  keeping  time  to  the  chant 
of  the  frogs  and  insects  and  the  surf's  monody,  while  a 
venerable  owl  in  a  neighboring  sycamore  seemed  to  solemnly 
direct  the  chorus.  At  the  foot  of  the  lane,  through  a  clump 
of  willows,  rippled  a  little  creek  whose  somber  banks  were 
the  frogs'  choir-loft;  it  was  spanned  by  a  rude  foot-bridge. 
Our  strollers  stood  for  a  few  moments  upon  the  bridge,  each 
impressed  with  the  romantic  scene  and  engaged  with  his 
own  thoughts.  From  up  the  stream  the  water  came  singing 
and  sparkling  in  the  moonlight,  until  it  reached  the  bridge, 
when  its  voice  died  out  in  a  gurgle  and  its  smiles  disap 
peared  in  the  deep  gloom  of  the  dense,  overarching  willows, 
and  it  seemed  to  lose  itself  in  the  dark  portals  of  a  ghostly 
cavern.  Suddenly  there  floated  up  on  the  balmy  air,  the  soft 
and  mellow  notes  of  a  distant  trombone,  soaring  and  swell 
ing,  sinking  and  almost  dying  away,  to  mount  again  in 
plaintive  appeal;  love-lorn  strains  in  accord  with  the  volup- 


ST.  AGNES  13 

tuous  beauty  and  bewitchment  exhaled  from  earth  and  ocean, 
air  and  sky,  in  this  dreamy  spot. 

"  Why,  it  is  '  Infelice/ "  exclaimed  Herman,  as  his 
trained  ear  caught  the  exquisite  aria  from  "  Ernani,"  "  and 
played  by  a  true  artist.  How  strange  to  hear  such  music 
here." 

"  Yes,  he  is  an  artist,  one  of  the  many  queer  characters 
that  have  drifted  to  St.  Agnes  and  you  may  say,  gone  to 
sleep.  He  is  an  Italian  and  came  to  California  with  the 
first  Italian  opera  troupe ;  found  his  way  here,  married  a  na 
tive  woman  with  some  property,  and  now  whiles  life  away 
teaching  children  to  sing  in  miniature  opera,  and  the  native 
Californians,  who  are  natural  musicians,  to  play  choice 
melodies  in  good  harmony,  and  from  his  face,  you  would 
judge  that,  in  the  pastime,  he  imagined  himself  in  grander 
scenes.  You  will  find  in  St.  Agnes,  and  you  can  make  in 
teresting  studies  of  them,  numbers  of  men  of  pronounced  in 
dividuality,  possessing  some  spark  of  genius,  with  all  its 
eccentricity, —  oddities  which  would  delight  Dickens'  heart ; 
this  appears  to  be  their  rendezvous." 

Herman's  imagination  as  of  wont,  immediately  seized  in 
advance  these  strange  personages  and  photographed  them 
into  a  brilliant  novel  that  he  would  write,  which  would  rival 
Dickens  or  Thackeray,  and  in  his  fancy,  as  the  two  con 
tinued  their  promenade,  he  was  already  distinguished  as 
the  novelist  of  the  age. 

They  were  aroused  from  their  revery  by  a  merry  peal  of 
laughter  from  a  spot  not  far  distant  behind  a  screen  of 
trees,  followed  by  a  strange,  wild  prelude  played  upon  the 
guitar.  They  turned  the  corner  of  the  street  and  a  scene, 
strange  and  fascinating  to  Herman,  came  in  view.  On  the 
stone  steps  leading  to  the  veranda  of  a  once  aristocratic 
adobe  house,  were  grouped  a  bevy  of  handsome  Cali- 
fornian  girls,  with  large  black  eyes,  now  flashing,  now 
melting  in  the  moonlight,  with  clear  olive  complexions,  and 
heavy  black  tresses  and  round,  plump  cheeks.  Some  with 
red  mantles  thrown  coquettishly  about  their  shoulders,  some 
with  white  shawls  made  into  designing  hoods  and  mufflers; 
here  and  there  among  them  a  cavalier,  with  broad  sombrero 
and  brilliantly  colored  neckerchief,  lazily  puffing  cigarittos, 
;which  his  sweetheart  rolled  for  him  and  lighted  with  her 


14  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

own  dainty  lips.  In  the  crotch  of  a  venerable  live-oak 
several  feet  above  the  veranda,  sat  Mr.  Sigismund,  his  legs 
crossed  and  propped  by  a  knot  in  the  tree,  a  guitar  resting 
gracefully  in  his  lap,  and  his  fingers  deftly  running  over 
the  strings.  On  his  head  sat  jauntily  a  little  red  skull 
cap,  which  had  been  ornamented  with  a  feather  from  the 
tail  of  a  game-cock;  around  his  neck  was  a  bright  red 
scarf,  loosely  tied  in  a  sailor's  knot,  his  black  beard  termi 
nating  in  a  twist  seemed  to  have  been  blown  by  the  wind  to 
the  opposite  direction  from  the  plume  in  his  hat.  His  lit 
tle  eyes  glittered  like  sparks  of  phosphorus,  and  he  seemed 
to  be  dancing  and  swaying  and  laughing  all  over  with 
glee,  as  he  sang  in  a  silvery,  flexible  voice,  which  almost 
startled  Herman  and  made  him  think  of  Mephistopheles, 
"  Es  war  einmal  em  Kon'ig." 

Oh!  what  a  merry  little  devil  he  was!  What  mirthful 
mischief  and  innocent  deviltry  sparkled  about  him  and  Her 
man  would  not  have  been  surprised  to  see  him  reach  over 
and  strike  the  old  pump  hard  by  and  bring  forth  a  shower 
of  fire.  The  Colonel  and  Herman  walked  slowly  on,  the 
song  ended,  and  turning  around  they  saw  the  little  man 
leap  like  a  cat  from  the  tree,  throw  the  guitar  to  a  young 
man,  and  the  next  moment  he  was  twirling,  with  a  gypsy- 
like  maiden,  over  the  green,  to  the  measure  of  a  quick 
Spanish  waltz,  in  what  seemed  a  goblin  dance. 

Colonel  Morgan  and  Herman  bade  each  other  good-night 
at  the  hotel  and  separated  as  sympathetic  friends  until 
morning,  when  the  Colonel  was  to  introduce  his  young 
friend  to  some  of  his  fellow  members  of  the  bar.  As 
Herman  passed  through  the  "  corral,"  he  saw  our  worthy 
host  conducting  the  limp  and  helpless  form  of  General 
Peters  to  one  of  the  cabins. 

"  Sh !  sh !  hie !  I'm  shgentleman  sah,  sh !  sh !  hie !  from 
Virshginia,  sah !  " 

"  You  are  a  d — n  drone,"  said  the  stout  landlord  em 
phatically,  and  balancing  him  forward  with  his  yellow  tile 
pointed  to  the  doorway  which  his  companion  had  opened, 
he  placed  his  hands  upon  the  General's  shoulders  and  his 
knee  upon  his  seat  of  honor,  and  with  well  directed  aim 
and  powerful  momentum,  sent  him  with  marvelous  veloc- 


SIGISMUXD  IX  THE  TREE 


ST.  AGNES  n 

ity  head  foremost  into  the  room,  closed  the  door  and  re 
turned,  puffing  like  an  engine,  to  his  coffee. 

Herman  having  first  scented  the  blankets  and  sheets  with 
flea  powder,  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the  ceremony  of  retiring 
in  California,  was  soon  in  bed. 


CHAPTER  II 

A    COW-COUNTY    BENCH    AND    BAR 

No  stately  pillared,  dome-crowned  temple,  surmounted  with 
statue  of  blindfolded,  scales-bearing  Justice  enshrined  the 
sacred  tribunals  of  St.  Agnes;  but  the  goddess,  with  eyes 
wide  open  and  ever  on  the  alert,  laid  down  the  law,  without 
weighing  it,  according  to  popular  wishes  and  wants,  inde 
pendent  of  musty  precedents  in  unadorned  simplicity  in  an 
adpbe  house,  once  a  spacious  mansion.  The  interior  arrange 
ment  of  the  building  was  admirable  for  the  times.  Quite 
a  commodious  courtroom  did  duty  for  two  courts  alternately, 
the  district  court,  which  had  jurisdiction  over  St.  Agnes 
and  two  neighboring  counties,  and  the  county  court,  and 
occasionally  when  some  trial  of  great  popular  interest,  a 
horse  case,  for  example,  was  to  take  place,  it  condescended 
to  open  its  portals  to  the  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Leading 
from  it  were  the  jury  room,  the  sheriff's  office  and  the  jail, 
all  on  the  same  floor  and  convenient  for  all  necessary  pur 
poses.  When  all  officials  had  gone  to  dinner  and  the  bailiff 
was  taking  a  siesta  and  a  cigaritto  in  the  courtroom,  friends 
of  the  jurors  could  hold  comfortable  intercourse  with  them 
seated  upon  the  window  sills,  necessarily  broad  because  of 
the  immensely  thick  adobe  walls,  and  pass  to  them  such 
refreshments,  liquid  and  pecuniary,  as  were  needed,  through 
the  bars,  then  deemed  as  requisite  for  a  jury  room  as  for  a 
jail.  After  a  criminal  had  received  his  sentence,  he  was, 
without  trouble,  marched  from  the  courtroom  through  the 
sheriff's  office,  into  the  adjoining  jail,  from  which,  it  being 
with  the  entire  building  of  soft  adobe,  he  could,  when  night 
came,  quietly  dig  himself  out,  leave  the  country  and  save 
the  county  future  expense.  Conveniently  adjoining  the  jail 
on  the  other  side,  were  the  chamber  of  the  Board  of  Super 
visors,  the  hall  of  records  and  the  offices  of  county  officials. 
A  corridor  ran  the  length  of  the  building's  front,  where 
the  judicial,  legislative  and  ministerial  functionaries  of  lux- 

16 


A  COW-COUNTY  BENCH  AND  BAR  17 

urious  St.  Agnes  lounged  and  talked  and  smoked  and  dosed 
the  dreamy  day  away. 

When  Herman  appeared  at  the  court  house  with  Col. 
Morgan  just  previous  to  the  opening  of  court,  the  hosts 
were  assembled  on  the  corridor.  He  was  first  presented 
to  the  district  judge,  a  Mexican  of  high-bred  Spanish  an 
cestry,  the  son  of  the  former  commandante  of  the  presidio, 
well  beloved  dictator  of  the  ancient  Pueblo,  whose  pro- 
nunciamientos  were  like  the  decrees  of  King  Ahasuerus. 
The  Judge  was  a  tall,  stout  and  distinguished  looking  man, 
with  fierce  crescent  whiskers  and  triple  chin.  He  was,  at 
the  time,  rolling  a  cigaritto.  It  would  be  well  to  remark 
here,  that  the  court  was  in  the  habit  of  taking  a  recess  every 
quarter  of  an  hour  of  five  minutes,  to  enable  the  officers 
to  smoke,  like  the  intermissions  in  a  Swiss  sermon.  He 
greeted  Herman  with  great  condescension  and  welcomed 
him  in  a  husky,  muffled  voice,  his  language  punctuated  with  a 
spasmodic  cough.  The  next  introduction  was  to  the  county 
judge,  an  Irishman  by  birth,  who  had  never  been  outside  the 
county  since  he  entered  it  in  1850;  in  fact,  he  had  then 
very  quaint  child-like  ideas  of  what  was  practically  going 
on  beyond  the  confines  of  St.  Agnes.  When  the  telegraph 
line  first  penetrated  this  out-of-the-way  spot,  he  was  called 
upon  to  answer  a  letter  by  telegram.  He  commenced  the 
dispatch,  "  Dear  Sir :  Your  favor  of  such  a  date  received 
and  contents  noted."  He  always  befriended  the  young 
lawyers,  and  became  afterwards  particularly  attached  to 
Herman,  to  whom  he  cast  many  crumbs  as  dispenser  of 
favors  by  reason  of  his  judicial  prerogative.  On  New 
Year's  day  he  considered  himself  free  of  all  restraint  and 
outside  judicial  decorum,  about  the  only  holiday  he  per 
mitted  himself  to  indulge  in,  and  with  long-tailed  black 
coat,  and  gloves  that  laid  in  lavender  from  New  Year's 
day  to  New  Year's  day,  he  called  upon  all  the  ladies  of  the 
town,  drinking  the  health  of  each,  and  ended  the  glorious 
festival  over  a  bowl  of  punch  concocted  by  himself  in 
Herman's  rooms,  with  several  choice  spirits.  He  journeyed 
from  St.  Agnes  to  another  world  not  many  years  after  Her 
man's  advent,  speeded  by  sorrow's  goad. 

The  district  attorney,  a  tall  powerfully  built  Missourian, 
with  broad-brimmed  slouch  hat,  in  the  meanwhile  sat  with 


18  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

his  chair  tilted  back  and  his  legs  cocked  up  on  the  railing, 
commenting  on  Roman  history,  which  he  had  recently  been 
perusing: 

"  That  old  fellow  Codes,,  he  was  a  first-class  brick  and 
would  have  made  no  slouch  of  a  slugger  and  champion  swim 
mer  if  he'd  been  living  now  and  he  had  the  grit  to  challenge 
a  gang  to  double-team  him.  Old  Publius  Valerian  would 
have  made  a  bully  Indian  fighter;  the  way  he  ambuscaded 
those  Etrurians  beat  the  United  States  troops  all  to 
thunder.  I  don't  believe  there's  any  professional  card  sharp 
in  the  country  could  hold  a  candle  in  a  bluff  to  that  young 
chap  Caius  Mucilage  and  get  in  their  work  as  he  did. 
They  might  burn  their  mouth  with  an  oyster  stew,  but 
they'd  all  take  water  when  it  came  to  burning  their  paw 
off  in  a  chafing-dish.  Those  Roman  plebians  didn't  know 
half  as  much  as  us  Missourians,  we'd  a  turned  loose  on 
those  bloated  landgrabbers  a  band  of  squatters  from  Price's 
army  that  would  have  soon  settled  their  hash,  although  they 
did  get  even  on  the  Uncle  Harris  by  letting  the  debtors  loose 
and  sending  them  to  war  to  steal  plunder.  How  are  you,  Mr. 
Thomas  ?  Give  us  your  paw,  glad  to  see  you." 

Such  was  the  hearty  salutation  Herman  received  from 
Mr.  Hill,  the  public  prosecutor,  who,  however,  eyed  with 
some  suspicion  his  fashionable  attire.  The  county  clerk, 
Senor  Sanchez,  was  a  native  Californian,  of  smooth  ad 
dress,  a  fine  penman,  a  splendid  billiard  player  when  heavy 
money  stakes  were  up,  a  cunning  and  successful  manipu 
lator  of  conventions  and  votes.  The  Board  of  Supervisors 
was  a  sort  of  Justice  Shallow's  Court  whose  president  was 
an  empty-pated  dictatorial  Spaniard  who,  when  he  was  not 
looking  around  for  perquisites,  exercised  his  authority  in 
peremptorily  ordering  the  hat  off  of  every  individual  appear 
ing  on  the  threshold  of  the  portal.  The  sheriff,  Mr.  Mil 
ler,  was  a  big-hearted,  big-framed  Western  man,  who  had, 
in  early  days,  crossed  the  plains,  brave  and  tender-hearted. 
He  seeemed  particularly  agitated  this  day,  for  a  scaffold  was 
erected  in  the  jail-yard  and  on  the  morrow  it  was  to  be  his 
dreaded  duty  to  launch  into  eternity  a  young  Indian  half- 
breed,  twenty  years  old,  guilty  of  murdering  a  Frenchman 
in  hot  blood.  He  afterwards  told  Herman  that  the  idea  of 
taking  the  life  of  another  seemed  always  a  murder  and 


A  COW-COUNTY  BENCH  AND  BAR  19 

it  haunted  him,  for  it  always  seemed  to  him  that  a  hangman 
bore  a  mark  like  Cain's. 

As  Herman  was  speaking  to  him,  a  little,  thin,  waxen- 
faced,  fish-eyed  man,  with  parti-colored  hair,  who  went  by 
the  name  of  "  Pinto  Bruto,"  came  up  and  addressed  the 
sheriff  in  a  whining  voice: 

"  Please  Mr.  Miller,  let  me  ang  im.  I  won't  charge 
you  anythink.  There's  no  angman  can  do  a  better  job  than 
me.  I  anged  three  man  in  Sacramento,  and  the  sheriff 
said  as  ow  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  ow  I  worked  em  off.  See 
what  a  pretty  knot  I  makes,"  and  he  dexterously  twisted 
a  piece  of  rope  he  had  in  his  hand  into  a  hang-man's  noose 
through  which  the  rope  slipped  as  if  oiled. 

"  Go  way  from  here,  you  unnatural  brute,"  roared  the 
sheriff,  "  or  I'll  twist  your  neck." 

"  You  oughtn't  to  get  uffy  at  me,  Mr.  Miller.  I  knows 
you  don't  like  the  job,  and  ow  your  cart's  soft  on  the  boy 
and  I  don't  see  why  you  won't  let  me  do  it,  when  I  can  work 
im  off  without  urting  im  before  e  knows  whot's  happen 
ing." 

Here  the  sheriff  ended  the  interview  by  wheeling  the  vol 
unteer  hangman  around  with  his  face  to  the  curb,  and  giving 
him  a  kick  which  sent  him  into  the  middle  of  the  street. 

Herman  saw  the  friar,  with  sad  face  beneath  his  cowl, 
pass  from  the  poor  wretch's  cell,  and  saw  the  woe-begone 
countenance  of  the  condemned  looking  pleadingly  out  through 
the  bars,  and  he  shuddered.  There  was  no  hope  of  escape 
for  that  poor  devil,  for  he  was  well  guarded  by  men  that 
thirsted  for  his  blood;  not  only  Frenchmen,  but  the  partisan 
American  pioneers,  and  Mexican  War  soldiers.  They  hated 
with  a  deadly  hatred  the  Indians  and  Mexicans,  and  this 
hatred  was  returned  to  these  partisans;  though  many  an 
American  in  sickness  and  distress  was,  with  the  warmth  of 
hospitality,  received  into  the  houses  of  the  natives,  and  ten 
derly  cared  for  and  nursed.  Not  many  years  before,  a 
native  and  his  poor  young  boy  had  been  mercilessly  lynched 
at  night,  for  stealing  a  cow  to  eat,  almost  the  custom  of 
the  country,  and  at  the  same  time  there  existed  in  the  moun 
tain  fastnesses  a  band  of  native  desperadoes  who  robbed 
and  brutally  murdered  American  travelers.  Application 
had  been  made  for  the  commutation  of  sentence  of  the  con- 


£0  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

demned  to  imprisonment  for  life;  on  the  following  day,  at 
twelve  o'clock  the  hour  fixed  for  sentence,  no  advices  had 
come.  The  tender-hearted  district  judge,  by  an  excess  of 
jurisdiction,  postponed  the  execution  some  hours;  in  the 
meanwhile  a  courier  arrived  with  the  commutation  of  sen 
tence.  The  scaffold  was  torn  down,  and  the  sheriff  beamed 
all  over  with  joy  and  became  gloriously  drunk,  in  celebra 
tion  of  the  happy  event. 

The  jailor  was  a  fat,  powerful  giant,  a  boy  who  did 
not  know  that  he  had  any  muscular  force,  any  more  than 
the  tame  bear  who  kept  the  flies  from  his  master's  face. 
He  often  went  to  sleep  like  Joe,  the  fat  boy,  and  when  a 
prisoner  dug  himself  out,  he  never  could  understand  why 
he  had  not  heard  him. 

But  I  am  in  advance  of  my  chronicles.  Herman  made 
the  acquaintance  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  bar. 
There  was  a  very  polite  and  courteous  gentleman,  evidently 
a  well-read  lawyer  and  a  fine  conversationalist,  Judge  Free 
man.  He  had  been  once  county  judge  of  St.  Agnes.  There 
was  Mr.  Boom,  a  fine  linguist,  who  had  been  educated  for 
the  ministry,  but  the  reverse  of  St.  Paul,  got  blind  and  be 
came  a  lawyer;  a  small  gentleman,  possessing  a  voice  like 
a  Sax-tuba.  There  was  Mr.  Wizzen,  a  thin  little  man 
with  pointed  features  and  a  huge  shock  of  white  hair,  whom 
Herman  afterwards  saw  carrying  an  enormous  Bible  in 
procession,  in  spite  of  his  not  having  great  familiarity  with 
the  eighth  commandment.  There  was  Mr.  Mocker,  who 
posed  as  a  literary  and  scientific  man  and  possessed  a 
library  of  general  reference.  He  asked  Herman,  upon 
being  presented  to  him,  if  he  was  familiar  with  the  "  Coper- 
nician  "  theory.  Lastly,  there  was  Mr.  Roncador,  a  giant 
who  had  been  for  years  a  sergeant  in  the  regular  army; 
famous  for  drilling,  making,  by  his  stentorian  voice,  a  raw 
recruit  shiver  in  his  boots,  but  to  perpetuate  his  useful 
services,  keeping  religiously  out  of  the  range  of  bullets. 
He  had  made  the  best  district  attorney  St.  Agnes  chron 
icled,  though  in  his  first  indictment  for  murder,  he  was 
guilty  of  the  technical  incongruity  of  saying,  "  the  deceased 
died  contrary  to  law." 

The  court  was  engaged  that  morning  in  trying  a  peculiar 
case;  one  Italian  had  sued  another  for  damages  for  run- 


A  COW-COUNTY  BENCH  AND  BAR  21 

ning  away  with  his  wife.  Mr.  Roncador  was  counsel  for 
plaintiif  and  Mr.  Boom  for  the  defense. 

Upon  the  argument  of  the  case,  Herman  was  struck 
with  the  force  of  Mr.  Roncador's  metaphorical  language. 
Mr.  Boom  was  constantly  interrupting  the  speaker,  when 
turning  from  the  jury  to  the  court,  Mr.  Roncador,  in  a 
voice  of  thunder  exclaimed,  "  I  wish  your  Honor  would 
keep  this  dog  from  yelping  while  I'm  barking." 

I  might  here  state  the  result  of  this  case.  The  plaintiff 
obtained  a  judgment  for  damages,  defendant  refused  to 
pay  and  defied  them  to  make  it  upon  execution.  Then  plain 
tiff  published  defendant  throughout  the  community  as  a 
dishonorable  and  dishonest  man,  having  failed  to  pay  his 
debts.  Whereupon  defendant  resorted  to  the  columns  of 
the  newspaper  and  published  a  card  to  this  effect: 

"  My     enemy has     grossly     slandered     me     in     the 

community  by  saying  I  do  not  pay  my  just  debts,  because 
I  do  not  pay  a  judgment  in  his  favor.  I  never  did  a  dis 
honorable  act  in  my  life.  This  judgment  was  not  for  a  debt, 
but  for  some  offense  under  the  American  law,  I  don't  remem 
ber  the  name,  I  never  heard  of  it  before." 

Court  adjourned,  Col.  Morgan  suggested  that  Herman 
have  a  sign  painted  and  then  look  for  an  office. 

"  Sign  be  d — d,"  said  Mr.  Hill,  "  a  piece  of  legal  cap 
with  your  name  on,  stuck  on  the  door  of  your  office  which 
need  only  be  big  enough  to  hold  your  books,  desk  and  a 
couple  of  chairs,  is  all  you  want.  Our  law  business  is  done 
in  the  barrooms  and  on  the  streets,  the  only  sensible  way. 
Come  with  me  to-night  over  to  the  American  Hotel  bar 
room  and  I'll  introduce  you  to  some  of  our  distinguished 
local  politicians." 

Herman,  however,  engaged  to  paint  him  a  small  sign, 
a  gentleman  who,  so  he  informed  him,  had  learned  the  art 
in  its  higher  branches  at  West  Point,  where  he  had  been  for 
years  drill  master;  that  he  had  subsequently  gone  through 
the  Mexican  war  and  had  eventually  been  forced  to  paint 
houses  and  signs  for  a  living.  He  charged  Herman  fifteen 
dollars  and  to  his  disgust  spelt  "  counsellor  "  with  one  1. 
That  evening  the  American  Hotel  was  in  full  blast.  Her 
man  was  ushered  into  a  long  saloon  crowded  with  all  classes 
of  people,  lawyers,  merchants,  raricheros,  American,  Eng- 


22  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

lish  and  native,  stage-drivers,  politicians,  vaqueros,  team 
sters,  squatters,  county  officials  and  politicians.  In  the 
center  of  the  room  was  an  old-fashioned  pocket -billiard  table, 
upon  which  was  being  played  a  lively  game  of  pin-pool  at 
one  dollar  "  anti,"  the  worthy  county  clerk  seeming  to  be 
the  champion,  and  in  one  corner  a  small  carrom  table.  At 
the  upper  end  was  the  bar,  a  long  pine  counter,  fronting 
some  board  shelving  on  which  was  an  array  of  bottles  of 
divers  shape  and  form,  and  containing,  as  a  general  rule, 
good  wines  and  liquors,  although  there  was  always  a  great 
reserve  of  rasping  fire-water  for  the  appreciative  gullets 
of  sheep-herders  and  kindred  gentry.  In  front  the  bar  was 
a  mixed  crowd  of  diverse  positions  in  life.  Off  the  saloon 
were  card  rooms,  where  hundreds,  yes  thousands  of  dollars, 
changed  hands  of  a  night,  that  is  to  say,  the  change  was  al 
ways  in  one  direction  —  from  the  flush  ranchero  to  the  needy 
professional  gambler.  Of  course  these  rooms  could  not 
compare  with  the  prosperity  of  the  old  montebanks  they 
succeeded,  where  fair  women  dealt  the  cards,  and  it  was  a 
joy  and  delight  to  see  the  gold  flash  through  their  tapering 
fingers,  and  hear  the  crisp,  castanet-like  counting  of  the 
coin;  but  they  were  pretty  fair. 

"  Here,  boys,  fire  and  fall  back  and  give  somebody  else  a 
chance,"  cried  out  Mr.  Hill.  "  Come  Shorty,  and  you 
Scotty  and  you  Long-Hungry  and  all  our  gang,  put  your 
bellies  to  the  counter,  I  want  to  introduce  you  to  a  new  law- 
slinger  from  the  states.  This  is  Mr.  Thomas,  a  darned 
sight  better  fellow  than  you'd  take  him  to  be  from  his 
rig.  Here  Shorty,  give  him  your  fist." 

Shorty,  about  four  feet  high,  with  a  head  and  face  like 
the  light-red  billiard  ball,  and  a  voice  resembling  a  pair 
of  brass  cymbals,  blazed  forth: 

"  Any  friend  of  our  distinguished  district  attorney  can 
take  a  chaw  or  a  drink  with  his  constitency.  You  must 
know  stranger  that  Scotty  and  me  and  Long-Hungry  and 
the  rest  of  the  gang  set  up  the  convention  and  elected  him; 
ain't  that  so?  " 

"  I    should   smile,"    remarked    Scotty. 

"  You  kin   bet  your  boots,"   said   Long-Hungry. 

Shorty  was  a  teamster,  Scotty  a  burly  cattle  drover,  who 


(J  AMK  OF  MOXTE  IN  THE  OLDEN  TIMES 


A  COW-COUNTY  BENCH  AND  BAR  23 

wore  his  belt  turned  so  as  to  conceal  his  revolver  under  his 
coat,  and  Long-Hungry,  a  long,  lank  wagon-painter. 

"  Nominate  your  pizon,"  brazened  Shorty.  The  glasses 
had  been  set  out,  and  one  black  bottle  from  which  the 
crowd  had  been  alternately  helping  themselves. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  inquired  Herman. 

"  That's  pure  old  Bourbon,"  replied  Mr.  Hill. 

"  I'll  take  the  same/'  said  Herman,  with  an  inward  spasm, 
for  whiskey  he  abominated. 

Shorty  looked  at  him  for  a  second  or  two,  his  face  glow 
ing  like  the  dark-red  with  admiration. 

"  Here  give  us  your  fist,  you'll  do  to  travel  with  this  con- 
stitency.  You're  a  little  fresh,  but  you've  been  weaned 
right." 

The  party  having  to  fall  back  from  the  counter  to  give 
room  to  a  fresh  squad,  Mr.  Hill  strolled  about  with  Her 
man  and  introduced  him  to  whom  he  considered  profitable 
acquaintances,  among  them  Capt.  Cecil  Seymour,  a  civil 
engineer  appointed  to  make  topographical  surveys  of  cer 
tain  ranches  and  to  lay  out  systems  of  irrigation.  He  was 
a  guest  of  the  St.  Louis  and  became  one  of  Herman's  fast 
friends.  Capt.  Seymour  presented  his  friend  Mr.  Sigismund, 
who,  with  a  graceful  bow  and  merry,  mischievous  smile, 
was  "very  happy  to  join  in  wishing  the  bien  venu  to  Mr. 
Thomas."  Just  then  a  gentleman  approached,  with  his  silk 
hat  and  cane  in  one  hand,  bowing  very  low  at  every  step, 
and  when  he  reached  the  group  he  stretched  out  his  dis 
engaged  hand,  and  said: 

"  My  dear  Capt.  Seymour,  how  delighted  I  am  to  see 
you,  how  well  you  are  looking,  and  when  did  you  return 
from  camp?  And  Mr.  Sigismund,  you  seem  never  to  lose 
your  happy  vivacity.  I  am  so  charmed  to  encounter  you; 
and  you  Mr.  Hill,  what  a  fine  plea  you  made  to  the  jury 
yesterday;  we  were  forced  to  decide  against  you,  but  we 
all  were  carried  away  by  your  logic  and  eloquence,  but  per 
haps  I  intrude." 

"  You've  hit  it  there,"  muttered  Mr.  Hill,  "  and  I've  a 
great  mind  to  employ  the  hoof  remedy  against  intruders." 

"  This  is  Mr.  Thomas,  Major  Falcon,"  said  Capt.  Sey 
mour,  "  recently  arrived  from  the  East." 


24  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Ah,  indeed  ?  I  am  charmed  to  make  your  acquaintance, 
Mr.  Thomas.  I  suppose  from  Boston?" 

"  No,  sir/'  replied  Herman. 

"Ah,  yes,  well  I  suppose  you  will  remain  here  a  short 
time?" 

"  I  hope  to  make  it  my  home." 

"  Ah,  how  delightful,  we  shall  learn  to  know  each  other 
very  well.  I  am  living  a  short  distance  from  town,  and 
have,  I  think,  a  sweetly  pretty  little  farm  and  orchard  and 
dairy,  and  I  deal  a  little  in  real  estate,  buying  and  selling, 
and  I  am  willing,  of  course  without  remuneration,  to  give 
you  any  information  you  may  desire  and  the  use  of  my 
humble  experience.  I  suppose  you  mean  to  purchase 
lands  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  I  came  to  practice  my  profession  as  a  lawyer." 

A  visible  change  came  over  the  countenance  of  the  Major 
on  hearing  this,  but  it  brightened  again,  and  he  said: 

"  It  pleases  me  greatly  to  hear  this,  for  as  Mr.  Hill 
knows,  the  more  lawyers  of  refinement  we  have  here,  the 
better  for  us  who  appreciate  the  higher  order  of  gentility. 
Do  any  of  your  friends  wish  to  purchase  lands,  I  am  will 
ing  to  extend  the  same  courtesy  as  I  would  to  you  ?  " 

Major  Falcon  was  a  stoutly  built  gentleman,  about  four 
and  a  half  feet  in  height,  with  low  forehead,  keen  eyes, 
perpetually  wandering  from  side  to  side,  a  heavy  shock  of 
red  hair  on  his  head,  which  had  never  been  thinned  by  ex 
haustive  intellectual  power  or  profundity  of  thought.  His 
cheeks  were  adorned  with  tangled  bunches  and  his  upper 
lip  with  a  heavy  moustache  of  the  same  colored  hair;  the 
end  of  the  moustache  he  kept  in  his  mouth  when  not  speaking, 
and  when  a  bolt  of  anger  or  suspicion  darted  through  him, 
as  it  often  did,  the  hair  and  the  whiskers  raised  up, 
and  the  moustache  flew  out  with  a  spit,  and  one  started 
back,  expecting  to  see  the  claws,  to  avoid  the  scratch.  He 
was  attired  in  ultra  fashionable  clothes  of  a  cut  two  seasons 
old,  and  was  shod  with  an  exaggerated  imitation  of  English 
shoes. 

Just  then  a  tall  gentleman,  in  a  black  mantle,  with  a 
cane  under  one  arm,  the  hand  holding  the  cane  encased  in 
a  black  glove  from  which  dangled  its  mate,  the  other  hand 
twirling  into  a  twist  his  flowing  beard,  his  long  hair  which 


A  COW-COUNTY  BENCH  AND  BAR  25 

curled  at  the  ends  like  cut  dandelions,  seeming  to  quiver 
and  shake,  glided  almost  imperceptibly  into  the  midst  of 
the  group. 

"  Helloa,  boys,  anything  new?     What's  the  little  game?  " 

"  Nothing  of  a  knock-down  kind,  doctor,  only  I  am  in 
troducing  my  friend  here,  a  lawyer  from  the  East  who  is  go 
ing  to  hang  out  his  shingle  in  St.  Agnes.  Mr.  Thomas, 
Dr.  Vanderpool." 

"  How  are  you,  boy  ?  Come  and  see  me  at  my  office. 
Have  some  good  paintings  and  fine  whiskey  and  lemons  from 
my  orchard.  Will  drive  you  'round  and  show  you  the 
country.  Do  you  play  crib?  Hey,  can't  stop  just  now, 
all  right,  so  long." 

As  the  party  separated,  Herman  found  himself  with 
Major  Falcon. 

"Who  is  that  stout,  red,  round-faced,  jolly  looking  gen 
tleman,  just  entering  the  doorway,  who  might  be  taken  for 
Mr.  Wardell?" 

"  An  infernal  scoundrel,  sir ;  have  nothing  to  do  with 
him;  he  is  old  Macdonald,  superintendent  of  San  Luis 
Island,  a  sheep  fancier,  a  miserable  wretch."  By  this 
time  Mr.  Macdonald  had  reached  the  couple. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Macdonald,"  said  the  Major,  seizing  him 
by  the  hand  and  putting  his  arm  on  his  shoulder,  "  how 
charmed  I  am  to  see  you.  This  is  my  warm  friend,  Mr. 
Thomas;  you  should  know  him,  for  he  is  to  remain  with  us 
in  the  practice  of  the  law." 

"  Well,  my  lad,  I'm  glad  to  know  ye,  but  little  law  do  I 
want  f rae  ye,  eno  o  that  had  I  in  Scotland ;  but  if  you  hae  a 
taste  for  gude  mutton  and  would  like  a  tilt  wi  a  wild-boar, 
Bobbie  Macdonald  is  the  mon  and  San  Luis  Island  the  spot 
a'ways  at  your  bidding." 

Herman  thanked  him,  and  then  excused  himself  from 
the  Major,  who  kept  bowing  and  bowing  until  he  had  dis 
appeared  into  the  street,  and  after  a  stroll  in  the  fresh 
air,  retired  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  III 

AN    ALIBI    AND    A    DANCE 


THE  next  morning,  after  breakfast,  as  Herman  stood  in 
front  of  the  hotel  looking  at  the  mountains  which  so  forci 
bly  brought  back  to  him  the  shore  of  Lake  Leman,  where 
she  loses  herself  in  the  "  blue  rushing  Rhone/'  meditating 
upon  the  future  and  wondering  what  he  should  first  under 
take  that  day,  he  was  approached  by  the  county  clerk  and 
a  swarthy  native. 

"Mr.  Thomas,  this  is  Mr.  Lugo;  he  wishes  you  to  de 
fend  his  son  who  is  to  be  tried  this  morning  for  stealing 
a  box  of  candy  from  Isaac  Cook's  shop.  Is  that  not  so, 
Lugo  ?  " 

"  Si,"  grunted  the  native,  and  handed  Herman  a  twenty 
dollar  gold  piece. 

"  Mr.  Sanchez,  will  you  please  ask  Mr.  Lugo  what  is 
the  nature  of  his  son's  defense  ?  " 

"  He  says  never  mind;  that  when  the  trial  comes  off  at 
ten  o'clock,  he  will  hand  you  a  list  of  witnesses,  and  all 
you  have  to  do  is  to  ask  them  where  his  son  was  at  the  time 
the  prosecution  proves  the  candy  was  stolen." 

At  the  appointed  hour  Herman  was  present  in  court. 
Judge,  jurors,  district  attorney,  prisoner  and  his  sire  and 
a  host  of  natives  who  always  thronged  the  court  when  the 
proceedings  in  any  way  affected  one  of  their  race  were 
there.  Herman  sat  at  one  end  of  a  bench  and  the  prisoner 
at  the  other,  although  he  did  not  know  him  to  be  such  until 
proceedings  had  been  begun.  The  jury-box  having  been 
filled,  the  district  attorney  began  the  examination  of  the 
jurors  on  their  voir  dire: 

"  Mr.  Smith,  do  you  know  the  prisoner  at  the  bar  ?  " 
Mr.  Smith  looked  directly  at  Herman  and  said,  "  I  be 
lieve  I've  seen  the  gentleman  before." 

"  No,  I  mean  the  fellow  at  the  other  end  of  the  bench." 
This   introduction  at  first   rather  disconcerted   Herman, 


AN  ALIBI  AND  A  DANCE  27 

and  he  did  not  completely  rally  until  his  own  witnesses  testi 
fied.  The  jury  impaneled,  the  prosecution  briefly  made 
what  Herman  believed  to  be  an  invincible  case.  It  was 
proved  that  the  boy  was  in  the  shop  at  seven  o'clock  p.  M. 
of  such  a  date,  standing  at  the  spot  from  which  the  box 
was  taken;  immediately  afterwards  he  disappeared,  and 
the  candy  was  found  missing.  A  boy  companion  testified 
that  he  had  at  half-past  seven  helped  him  to  eat  a  box 
of  candy.  The  people  having  rested,  Herman  was  handed 
a  list  of  fifteen  witnesses.  He  called  them  seriatim  and 
each  swore  that  he  had  played  con  quien,  a  game  resembling 
keno,  on  the  day  of  the  alleged  theft,  at  the  same  table 
with  the  defendant  from  four  o'clock  till  ten  p.  M.  Not 
one  of  them  had  once  left  the  table  and  each  had  looked 
at  the  big  clock  which  hung  in  the  room.  The  jury  brought 
in  a  verdict  of  not  guilty,  and  after  it  was  recorded  the 
foreman  said  that  the  jury  believed  the  defendant  stole  the 
box  of  candy,  but  the  evidence  for  the  defense  was  too 
strong  and  swamped  the  prosecution. 

Later  experience,  after  hard  struggles  with  the  native 
Californian  witness,  proved  to  Herman  that  he  was,  like 
the  sailor,  a  species  unto  himself.  When  asked  by  a  par 
ticular  party  to  a  suit  or  legal  proceeding  to  testify  on  his 
behalf,  and  he  accepts,  he  considers  himself  retained  for 
that  side  as  much  as  the  attorney,  and  that  it  is  his  duty  to 
make  the  testimony  as  strong  as  possible.  Upon  direct  ex 
amination  he  is  positive  and  voluble,  on  cross-examination 
silent  and  obtuse,  and  when  forced  to  reply  to  some  ques 
tion  concerning  what  has  transpired,  he  invariably  shrugs 
his  shoulders  and  says:  "  No  mi  recuerdo;  I  do  not  re 
member."  He  never  can  tell  the  year  in  which  any  event 
happened,  but  always  dates  from  the  Dry  Year,  so  many 
years  before  or  so  many  years  after.  He  does  not  know 
whether  a  tract  of  land  lies  north,  south,  east  or  west  of  a 
point,  but  must  identify  it  with  physical  monuments  upon 
the  ground. 

Herman  immediately  secured  a  modest  office,  and  at  once 
devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  the  history,  legislation  and 
law  of  the  state  of  his  adoption,  at  the  same  time  mixing 
with  the  people  and  acquiring  all  possible  practical  informa 
tion  by  inquiry  and  observation.  The  most  of  the  great 


28  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

ranches  had  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  descendants  of 
those  who  had  received  them  as  their  share  of  the  loot  of 
the  missions.  In  the  first  place,  before  absolute  title  could 
be  obtained  to  them  under  the  U.  S.  Government,  it  had  been 
necessary  that  their  claims  be  submitted  to  and  investigated 
by  a  U.  S.  commission  appointed  to  settle  the  same,  from 
the  decision  of  which  laid  an  appeal  to  the  U.  S.  District 
Court  and  from  its  decision  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court. 
Next  a  survey  of  the  exterior  boundaries  of  the  grant  by  the 
U.  S.  Surveyor  General  must  be  had.  This  was  subject  to 
protest  and  litigation  and  two  or  three  surveys  sometimes 
were  made  before  a  final  one  was  adopted,  and  the 
boundaries  became  matter  of  litigation,  and  the  final  survey 
subject  of  appeal  from  one  Government  department  to  the 
other,  and  ultimately  came  the  delay  in  the  ministerial  duty 
of  issuing  the  patent,  the  performance  of  which  duty  could, 
of  course,  by  certain  mechanical  means,  be  expedited.  All 
this  required  money;  money  to  retain  lawyers,  money  to 
pay  manipulators,  money  to  fee  officials,  money  for  travelling 
expenses  and  sundries.  The  most  of  the  rancheros  had  no 
money,  but  they  could  and  did  give  a  large  proportion  of 
their  lands,  and  ultimately  sacrificed  all  for  a  song.  Others 
sold  their  lands  for  a  fair  price  to  honest  buyers,  and  those 
of  others  were  eaten  up  by  debts  contracted  at  a  ruinous 
rate  of  usury,  from  two  to  five  per  cent,  per  month.  Some, 
very  few,  retained  their  land,  and  fewer  kept  the  proceeds 
of  what  they  had  sold.  Among  the  thrifty  was  a  Mexican 
miser,  usurer  and  former  monte-dealer.  A  certain  pe 
troleum  company  desired  to  purchase  one  of  his  ranchos, 
upon  which  were  large  oil  deposits,  and  offered  him 
$100,000.00,  as  much  as,  outside  these  undeveloped  re 
sources,  it  was  legitimately  worth.  The  Mexican  could  not 
make  up  his  mind  whether  or  not  to  accept  the  offer.  The 
agent  of  the  company  saw  that  he  would  never  come  to  a 
decision  by  ordinary  dealing,  no  matter  what  price  was 
tendered.  He  therefore  procured  $100,000.00  in  double- 
eagles  and  taking  them  to  the  Mexican's  house,  emptied 
them  upon  the  table  and  as  he  talked  to  him  about  the  advan 
tages  of  his  making  the  sale,  he  carelessly  picked  up  hand- 
fuls  after  handfuls  of  the  yellow  pieces  and  let  them  jingle 
down  upon  the  golden  heap.  It  was  too  much  for  the  old 


AN  ALIBI  AND  A  DANCE  29 

man.  With  glaring  eyes,  he  cried,  "  Give  them  to  me,  give 
them  to  me,"  and  immediately  executed  the  deed.  When  he 
learned  subsequently  that  the  rancho  had  been  bonded  for  a 
million  dollars,  he  became  a  raving  maniac,  and  for  a  month 
wrung  his  hands  and  cursed  himself  and  the  purchasers,  and 
could  never  be  consoled  for  his  loss. 

At  the  same  time  that  honest  and  legitimate  claims  were 
passing  through  the  machinery  of  the  government,  many 
bogus,  forged  and  fraudulent  claims  were  presented  to  the 
commission  and  sought  to  be  manipulated  through.  This,  of 
course,  cast  discredit  upon  all  Mexican  grants  and  was  the 
means  afterwards  of  causing  long,  tedious  and  expensive 
litigation  to  the  honest  purchasers  of  bona  fide  titles.  A 
certain  member  of  the  St.  Agnes  bar,  whose  delight  it  was  to 
be  thought  a  Mephistopheles,  was  once  asked  in  a  feeling 
way  by  a  gentleman,  the  owner  of  a  genuine  grant: 

"Why  do  you  assert  such  claims  before  the  commission? 
You  cannot  expect  to  succeed  ?  " 

"  One  may  stick,  one  may  stick,  and  it  will  pay  me  for 
all/'  was  the  response. 

Many  of  the  natives  who  had  parted  with,  or  lost  their 
property,  possessed,  if  not  a  bitter,  an  invidious  feeling 
against  the  acquirers  of  it,  and  used  every  effort  to  impair 
the  title  and  reap  more  money,  producing  hitherto  unknown 
owners  and  heirs,  bringing  minors  from  their  well-filled 
nurseries,  married  women  who  had  not  been  examined  apart 
from  their  husbands,  namesakes  of  vendors  who  were  the 
simon-pure  owners,  live  men  supposed  to  have  been  dead, 
alleging  fraud  or  mistake  in  the  execution  of  the  instrument 
of  transfer,  and  invoking  every  possible  flaw  existing  in 
reality  or  created  by  the  ingenuity  of  an  unscrupulous  law 
yer. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  uncertainty  of  boundaries,  as  well 
as  the  suspicion  of  fraud  in  the  grant,  brought  upon  many 
ranchos  swarms  of  that  pest  of  the  Western  Country,  the 
squatter.  Not  the  settler,  the  squatter.  The  squatter  is  the 
American  gypsy;  gypsy  so  far  as  being  a  nomad  and  a  dis 
tinct  race;  after  this,  similarity  stops;  in  other  respects  he 
is  a  pure  Ishmaelite.  While  the  palm  of  the  gipsy  itches 
and  hen-roosts  are  not  safe  in  his  neighborhood,  his  heart 
has  not  murder  in  it,  and  his  hand  is  rarely  stained  with 


30     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

blood.  The  squatter  seldom  steals,  but  his  rifle  brings  down 
human  game  with  more  gratification  to  him  than  if  it  were  a 
deer  or  a  bear.  The  lynching  of  a  man,  to  him,  is  the  most 
enjoyable  entertainment  he  can  conceive  of.  One  instance 
came  subsequently  within  Herman's  personal  knowledge.  A 
dispute  occurred  between  two  squatters  concerning  the 
boundary  line  between  their  respective  claims,  and  the  feel 
ing,  one  against  the  other,  was  very  bitter.  A  few  cattle  of 
the  one  trespassed  on  the  claim  of  the  other  and  he  shot  one 
of  them.  But  a  half-hour  after  the  act,  a  band  of  armed 
men  entered  his  house,  as  he  was  eating  supper  with  his  wife 
and  boy,  and  took  him  a  hundred  yards  from  his  own  shanty 
and  hanged  him  in  the  presence  of  his  little  boy,  who  had 
followed  them.  The  boy  did  not  cry;  tears  were  not  his 
inheritance,  and  he  was  too  well  trained ;  but  he  was  dogged 
and  sullen  and  kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon  his  father's  enemy, 
and  doubtless,  if  the  sequel  were  told,  he  one  day  gratified 
his  wish  for  vengeance.  The  wife  sat  pale  and  speechless, 
she  knew  all  entreaty  would  be  hopeless,  nor  did  she  cry; 
simply  when  the  boy  returned  she  sent  him  to  some  friendly 
neighbors  to  come  and  cut  down  the  body  and  see  that  it  was 
decently  buried.  The  history  of  Southern  California 
records  the  brutal  assassination  of  Thomas  W.  More  by 
squatters,  upon  a  rancho  which  he  had  bought  in  good  faith 
at  an  administrator's  sale  and  paid  more  than  its  intrinsic 
value.  A  flaw  in  the  title  of  it  had  been  picked  by  a  land- 
ghoul,  who  sent  to  swarm  upon  it  the  worst  ruffians  of  the 
class,  and  they,  disguised  and  masked  at  night,  set  fire  to  his 
barn,  filled  with  livestock,  and  when  he  rushed  from  the 
house  to  save  the  lives  of  his  poor  brutes,  shot  him  down  like 
a  dog,  and  not  content  with  this,  mutilated  him  after  the 
breath  had  left  his  body. 

The  squatter  travels  from  place  to  place  over  the  portion 
of  the  continent  where  government  land  exists,  going  and 
coming ;  and  when  he  finds  a  strip  unoccupied  he  squats,  and 
waits  till  a  true  settler  happens  along,  then  sells  his  location 
and  takes  again  to  the  road.  If  you  meet  him  on  the  thor 
oughfare  in  his  canvas-covered  wagon,  with  his  straggling 
family  and  his  straggling  stock,  the  only  good-natured  look 
you  will  receive  will  be  from  a  horse  or  a  cow.  Should  you 
greet  him  with  a  smile  and  a  kindly  word,  you  will  be 


AN  ALIBI  AND  A  DANCE  31 

rewarded  with  an  ugly  scowl  from  the  man,  a  sneer  from 
the  woman  and  a  sullen  stare  from  the  joyless,  sour-faced, 
thin-featured  children.  Should  you  ask  the  loan  of  his  pail 
to  water  your  horse  at  the  stream,  he  will  tell  you  to  get  one 
of  your  own,  he  don't  lend  his.  He  is,  in  other  words,  to 
the  honest  settler  what  the  bloodthirsty  anarchist  is  to  the 
true  laboring  man. 

It  did  not  take  Herman  very  long  to  discover  the  status 
of  the  real  property  in  the  county,  its  titles  and  the  attacks 
made  upon  them,  nor,  quick  observer  that  he  was,  to  read 
the  characters  of  the  people,  cosmopolitan  as  they  were. 
The  study  of  the  law  affecting  Mexican  grants,  too,  had 
become  a  fascination,  and  the  days  passed  without  irksome- 
ness.  From  the  evenings  he  and  his  friend  Capt.  Seymour 
managed  to  glean  no  little  recreation  and  amusement.  A 
few  days  after  his  arrival,  he  and  his  friend  were  invited 
to  a  ball  at  the  mansion  of  one  of  the  old  and  not  yet  ruined 
native  families.  A  charming  moonlight  night  it  was ;  the  sun 
had  left  a  warm  breath  to  temper  the  ocean  breeze,  and  the 
balmy  air  was  ladened  with  scent  of  flowers.  The  pepper 
tree  tresses  waved  and  the  climbing  roses  nodded ;  and  white 
dresses  with  gayly  colored  scarfs,  and  rich  hued  gowns  with 
snowlike  lace,  fluttered  and  rustled,  and  plump,  round  cheeks 
turned  to  roses;  bright  eyes  sparkled  through  long  lashes, 
white  pearls  glistened  through  coral  lips  beneath  ripples  of 
smiles;  winged  feet  flitted  in  fairy  dance,  while  the  spirit 
of  melody,  the  troubadour's  music,  inspired  and  guided  it 
all.  Herman  and  Seymour  both  felt  the  magic  of  the  scene 
and  were  soon  the  merriest,  if  not  the  maddest  of  the  merry 
makers.  Herman  was  struck  with  the  natural  ease  and 
grace  of  the  native  women,  particularly  refined  in  the  young 
maidens,  inherited  not  acquired,  for  nearly  all  had  never 
been  outside  St.  Agnes,  and  had  received  no  education  what 
ever.  They  were  all  beautiful  dancers,  and  would  acquire 
in  an  instant  any  new  dance  a  tourist  or  a  commercial 
traveller  should  chance  to  import.  He  and  his  companion 
revelled  in  the  dance,  and  when  supper  was  announced,  they 
escorted  to  the  table  two  sisters,  gentle,  naive,  pretty  little 
creatures,  as  graceful  as  fairies.  With  the  winsome  sprites 
at  their  sides,  little  attention  did  they  pay  to  the  tamales, 
made  of  the  finest  chicken,  maise,  raisins  and  olives,  or  the 


S2     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

delicious  salad  of  olives,  dressed  with  oil,  vinegar  and 
onions,  or  the  Spanish  sandwiches  and  superb  relishes, 
jellies  and  confections,  and  good  native  wine;  and  when  at 
last  the  irksome  eating  was  done,  they  strolled  out  in  the 
moonlight.  Herman,  for  the  moment,  lost  the  reminiscences 
of  his  former  life,  forgot  his  loneliness  and  exorcised  his 
melancholy  and  whispered  soft  words  into  the  listening  ears 
of  his  fair  companion.  He  asked  her  if  she  had  ever  been  in 
love,  and  with  demure  look  she  glanced  up  through  her  long 
lashes,  and  said,  "  No,  sefior."  Just  then  Seymour  passed, 
with  his  dulcinea,  and  Herman  caught  the  low  spoken  frag 
ment,  "  I'll  build  thee  a  palace  where  the  perfumed  lights 
from  alabaster  lamps,"  and  Herman  told  her  that  he  felt 
very  lonely  in  his  new  home;  that  he  had  no  one  to  think  of 
him,  to  care  for  him,  to  greet  him  with  a  loving  glance  and 
gently  press  his  hand,  and  did  she  think  that  anyone  could 
fall  in  love  with  an  awkward  youth  like  him.  Again  she 
looked  up  with  a  bewitching  smile  and  said,  "  Si  sefior  " ; 
and  Seymour  passed  again,  "Dost  thou  like  the  picture?" 
and  his  companion  sweetly  smiled,  and  answered ,  "Si 
sefior."  Just  then,  the  summons  to  a  dance  was  given,  and 
our  two  friends  returned  their  prizes  to  the  ball-room,  and 
walked  out  together  in  the  moonlight,  and  smoked  their 
cigarittos  silently.  When  they  returned,  they  saw  Sey 
mour's  fairy  promenading  with  the  fat  gambler,  into  whose 
eyes  she  looked  as  sweetly  as  into  Melnot's,  and  Herman's 
charmer  was  on  the  arm  of  Shorty,  upon  whose  rubicund 
head,  which  she  could  easily  reach,  she  had  just  broken  a 
cascarogne. 

"  Let's  go  home,"  said  Seymour. 

"  All  right,"  said  Herman. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE    KELLER 

THE  writer  having  brought  his  friend  Herman  to  the  scene 
of  his  work  life  and  introduced  him,  a  stranger,  to  the 
reader,  it  becomes  him  to  give  some  idea  of  the  youth's  per 
sonality  and  tell  the  circumstances  that  led  to  his  casting  his 
lot  in  the  little  hamlet  of  St.  Agnes. 

A  glorious  night  it  was.  A  glorious  night  to  one  admitted 
to  the  fellowship  of  nature's  familiar  spirits,  to  one  possess 
ing  the  talisman  stolen  from  the  gods,  by  the  touch  of  which 
the  chained  soul  can  be  given  brief  holiday  from  its  base 
prison  and  let  to  war  and  dance  and  fight  and  play  and  grow 
drunk  and  mad  with  the  goblin  creatures  of  the  elements. 
Man's  fancy  can  be  as  wild  a  demon  as  any  clothed  in  the 
wind's  shriek  or  the  ocean's  roar  or  that  springs  in  the  lurid 
flash  from  the  thunder's  peal,  and  as  stealthy  a  spectre  as 
makes  silence  visible  in  the  falling  snow-flakes,  and  can, 
when  the  battle  is  over,  be  as  dreary  a  mourner  as  the  mid 
night  rain. 

Yes,  it  was  a  gala  night  for  my  frolicsome  fancy.  The 
wild  wind,  wet  with  the  foam  of  the  lake  it  had  lashed  into 
fury,  tore  up  the  street  with  a  roar.  As  it  swept  along,  the 
window-shutters  banged,  the  monotonous  creaking  of  signs 
turned  to  shrieks,  the  telegraph  poles  moaned  like  fog-horns 
and  a  charivari  of  howling,  hissing,  groaning,  cracking, 
whistling  from  mysterious  instruments  accompanied  it. 
Seizing  in  its  course  a  packing  box,  it  rolled  it  along  faster 
and  faster  up  the  street  and  dashed  it  with  a  yell  against 
the  legs  of  a  policeman,  who  was,  with  difficulty,  towing  a 
belated  female  pedestrian  across  the  street.  It  blew  out  the 
gas  lamp  in  front  of  the  Daily  Republican,  and,  with  Demo 
cratic  rage,  tore  down  the  bulletin  board  with  its  budget  of 
news  of  the  great  impeachment  trial  and  tripped  up  the 
daring  devil  who  sought  to  rescue  it  and  dashed  into  his 
mouth  a  handful  of  snow,  as  it  sped  by.  In  all  the  wind's 

33 


34     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

revels,  its  mute  companions,  the  flying  snow-flakes,  kept 
with  it;  not  the  floating,  feathery,  straight-descending  film 
of  down,  which  carpets  the  earth,  but  hard,  icy  pellets,  fired 
like  canister  shot  from  old  Boreas'  blunderbuss.  Amid 
its  revels,  from  the  hall  of  the  merry  Lieder  Kranz,  the 
Rhine-wine  chorus  would  at  intervals  break  out,  to  be 
drowned  by  the  wind's  mad  choir,  only  to  burst  forth  again 
in  wild  harmony. 

On  this  glorious  night,  I  knocked  at  the  door  of  a  two- 
story  wooden  building  which  had  the  appearance  of  a  huge 
whitened  packing  box.  The  door  was  unlocked  and  opened 
by  a  tall,  thin  man  with  long  hair  and  a  military  moustache 
and  sharp-pointed  imperial,  robed  in  a  government  blouse, 
and  holding  a  tallow  candle  stuck  in  a  block  of  wood.  He 
was  visible  but  for  an  instant,  when  the  wind  rushed  upon 
him,  snuffed  out  the  candle  and  flattened  him,  with  the  door, 
against  the  side  of  the  house.  "  Donnerwetter,"  he  growled 
in  a  sepulchral  voice,  as  he  felt  around  for  a  match,  while 
I  shut  out  the  rude  intruder.  Having  relighted  his  splut 
tering  dip,  he  muttered,  "  Erne  schrekliche  Nacht"  and 
pointing  to  a  narrow  flight  of  steps,  motioned  me  to  ascend. 
The  room  we  were  in  was  uncarpeted,  unpainted  and 
unceiled,  and  had  as  its  only  furniture,  a  round-bellied  coal- 
stove,  from  the  top  of  which  ran  a  pipe  up  between  the 
rafters,  through  the  floor  above,  a  couple  of  round  tables, 
some  wooden-seated,  straight-backed  chairs  and  a  beer- 
barrel,  inclined  upon  a  frame,  bending  its  gnarled  old 
spigot  over  a  huge  earthen  pitcher.  The  stairs,  a  familiar 
climb  to  your  chronicler,  led  to  a  room  as  bare  of  comfort 
and  ornament  as  the  one  below;  a  narrow  wooden  cot,  a 
roughly  made  stand  beside  it,  on  which  were  a  well-worn 
hair-brush,  a  shaving  mug  and  razor,  and  a  venerable 
leather-bound  volume  of  Fichte.  The  pipe  from  the  stove 
below  ran  straight  up  about  seven  feet  from  the  floor  and 
then  took  a  turn  at  right  angles  and,  supported  by  numerous 
wires  of  divers  thickness,  nailed  to  the  rafters,  without 
regard  to  symmetry  or  line,  elbowed  its  way  over  the  door 
through  a  clap-board  partition  into  the  adjoining  front 
room.  We  followed  the  pipe  and  entered  the  private  club- 
room  of  Captain  Hoehenberg,  once  Baron  Von  Hoehenberg, 
afterwards  a  forty-eighter,  then  a  refugee,  anon  a  captain 


THE  KELLER  35 

in  the  Union  army  under  Siegel,  and  now  peacefully  spend 
ing  the  decline  of  life  wandering  in  the  labyrinth  of  German 
philosophy,  while  the  sale  of  a  choice  variety  of  lager  beer 
to  a  select  but  limited  number  of  patrons  mastered  the 
problem  of  existence  which  bothers  so  many  less  sublime 
mortals.  The  Philosopher's  Keller,  as  this  retreat  was 
christened  by  the  proprietor,  not  because  it  was  in  fact  a 
cellar,  rather  a  garret,  but,  by  a  teutonic  process  of  reason 
ing,  was,  in  the  divine,  ethereal  essence  of  theory  —  being 
nearer  heaven  —  more  of  a  cellar  than  if  created  in 
corpore  underground;  since  it  was  animated  with  the  soul 
and  endowed  with  the  attributes,  and  possessed  the  inner 
life  of  a  tradition-created,  from  time  immemorial  haunt  and 
temple  of  inspiration  for  choice,  convivial  and  gifted  spirits. 
The  Keller  presented  a  cosier  appearance  than  the  rest  of 
the  Captain's  abode.  It  was  a  narrow  room  running  the 
length  of  the  house-front,  accommodating  with  reasonable 
comfort  a  long  deal  table  and  a  dozen  chairs  with  their 
occupants,  wrhen,  upon  rare  occasions,  such  a  number  of 
choice  spirits  assembled.  The  wooden  walls  had  a  fresh 
coat  of  whitewash;  the  stove-pipe  also,  hanging  over  the 
table  like  the  sword  of  Damocles,  without  the  blackest  ot* 
black-a-moors,  when  it  entered  the  room,  had  assumed  the 
complexion  of  a  harlequin.  A  kerosene  lamp  of  Dutch 
build,  suspended  by  a  bracket  against  the  wall,  aided  by  a 
huge  tin  reflector,  illumined  with  a  rather  mellow  light  the 
Philosopher's  Keller. 

Three  persons  were  the  occupants  of  the  room  when  we 
appeared.  At  the  head  of  the  table,  his  prescriptive  place, 
sat  Dr.  Gericht,  editor  of  the  Demokrat, —  so  called  because 
it  was  a  German  Republican  journal, —  a  stoutly  built  man 
of  medium  height,  smooth-faced,  with  a  German  cast  of  coun 
tenance,  that  is  to  say,  one  cast  in  one  of  the  moulds  of  Ger 
man  pottery,  without  any  particular  regard  to  lines  of 
beauty.  He  invariably  sat  obliquely  to  the  table,  with  one 
elbow  planted  upon  it,  and  delivered  his  political,  philo 
sophical  and  social  dicta  over  his  right  shoulder  and  above 
one  pane  of  his  eye-glass  which  occupied  the  center  of  his 
nose.  It  was  noticed  than  when  the  Doctor  went  to  sleep, 
which  he  occasionally  did  on  a  dull  evening,  if  he  exceeded 
his  regular  ten  glasses  of  lager,  he  seemed  to  collapse  in  his 


36  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

chair,  and  his  chest  grew  smaller  than  his  stomach;  a 
phenomenon  thus  explained  by  Captain  Hoehenberg: 
"  The  conscious  action  of  the  brain,  by  which  it  has 
thorough  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  its  own  concep 
tions,  in  certain  men  develops  an  immense  quantity  of 
oxygen,  and  acts  as  a  steam-pump,  keeping,  while  in  opera 
tion,  the  chest  in  an  inflated  state.  When  sleep  comes,  this 
action  which  is  positive  and  superinduced  by  the  will,  ceases 
and  the  reservoir  remains  empty  until  the  conscious  action 
of  the  brain  again  begins.  This  is  peculiarly  noticeable  in 
German  philosophers  and  statesmen;  it  is  said  that  Dr. 
Francis  Lieber  and  Bismark  measure  three  times  as  much 
around  the  chest  when  they  are  awake  as  when  asleep." 
On  the  right  of  the  Herr  Oberst,  as  we  addressed  him,  in 
chair  of  state,  sat  a  man  of  about  thirty,  with  a  broad  fore 
head  and  frank  countenance;  a  lawyer  and  keen  politician, 
and  just  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  Pennsylvania  legis 
lature,  and  elected  fairly  by  his  popularity.  He  was  a  con 
stant  student  of  human  nature  and  a  good  judge  of  men. 
He  was  precise  and  dogmatic  in  speech,  which  accentuated 
the  quaint  drollery  of  which  he  was  full.  He  happened  to 
be  of  the  party  that  memorable  evening  which  is  why  I  men 
tion  him  here;  at  another  time  under  other  circumstances,  I 
might  make  those  who  care  to  spend  a  few  idle  moments 
with  me  thoroughly  acquainted  with  this,  my  old  friend, 
Henry  Burton.  Opposite  Henry  sat  a  young  man  of 
twenty-five,  in  looks  a  boy  of  twenty,  with  delicate  features 
and  a  complexion  the  envy  of  women.  In  repose  his  face 
wore  an  expression  of  sadness,  the  true  reflection  of  his 
nature.  There  was  a  shyness  about  him  and  nervousness 
not  in  keeping  with  the  role  he  had  assumed  for  life's  stage, 
that  of  a  lawyer,  and  that  shadow  of  melancholy  and  that 
shrinking  from  contact  with  the  rude  world,  so  plainly 
shown  in  his  looks,  words  and  action,  often  awakened  in 
the  writer's  heart  a  kindred  sadness  and  the  misgivings  that 
the  young  bachelor  of  laws,  who  had  with  honors  won  his 
degree,  was  nevertheless  poorly  armed  and  equipped  to 
enter  the  lists.  The  least  unkind  or  impatient  word  would 
send  a  crimson  flood  to  his  face,  and  when,  believing  himself 
with  those  in  sympathy  with  him,  he  would  unburden  him 
self  of  the  load  he  carried  of  poetry,  pathos  and  sadness- 


THE  KELLER  37 

scented  humor,  and  would  display  his  aspirations,  noble  and 
unselfish  all  of  them,  and  disclose  his  marvellous  plans  of 
action,  sure  to  be  successful  when  plumed  with  the  wings  of 
his  swift  soaring  imagination,  let  a  sneering  or  incredulous 
or  a  jesting  word  escape  from  a  listener,  and  the  fatal  flush 
flashed  upon  his  cheek,  and  his  heart  was  closed  and  his  lips 
sealed,  and  hard  it  was  to  woo  back  the  childlike  confidence. 
He  talked  with  perfect  freedom  in  the  Philosopher's  Keller 
about  himself  and  his  plans;  for  there  he  was  understood 
and  loved  by  each  of  its  queer  frequenters  in  his  queer  way. 
The  Captain  regarded  him  as  a  sort  of  young  Goethe,  and 
expected  to  see  him  any  day  produce  a  second  Sorrows  of 
Werther,  and  used  to  sit  and  with  silent  satisfaction  watch 
him  as  he  dreamed  and  wrote.  The  Doctor  patronized  him 
good-humoredly  and  took  issue  and  discussed  with  him,  in 
the  most  material  way,  every  chance  improbable  poetic 
proposition  he  might  drop.  Henry  was  practically  his  use 
ful,  substantial  friend.  One  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Daily 
Republican,  he  had  secured  to  him  the  position  of  political 
editor,  a  more  honorable  than  lucrative  one,  and  of  short 
duration;  what  proved  to  be  his  last  editorial  having  been 
handed  into  the  composing  room  that  very  night,  while  at 
the  same  moment  the  directors  of  the  concern  in  an  adjoin 
ing  room  were  preparing  for  its  obsequies. 

I  said  that  Herman  Thomas,  for  that  is  the  name  of  my 
hero,  was  understood  and  loved  by  each  of  the  members  of 
the  Philosopher's  Keller;  there  were  several  other  odd  fel 
lows  who  belonged  to  it,  not  like  ourselves  regular  attend 
ants,  whose  names  we  need  not  give,  as  they  were  not  pres 
ent  upon  this  glorious  winter  night. 

"  Willkommen,  mein  lieber  Dreams,"  exclaimed  the  Doc 
tor,  as  the  Captain  ushered  me  into  the  Keller  with  a 
solemn  wave  of  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  held  aloft 
his  flaming  torch,  "  you  come  like  Samivel,  out  of  die  storm 
howls.  Did  die  Captain  conjure  you  up  mit  his  spells?  " 

"  Good  evening,  brothers  all,"  I  said  as  I  took  my  accus 
tomed  place,  filled  my  own  Bohemian  beer  glass  from  the 
common  jug  and  spread  some  grated  cheese  over  a  piece  of 
black  bread.  "  No,  my  dear  Doctor,  I  have  had  my  romp 
with  my  old  friend  the  Storm  King,  and  have  come  to  rest 
in  less  unruly  company.  I  am  no  spirit  of  evil,  but  bring  to 


SB     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

you  the  olive  branch,  for  the  elements  have  about  spent  their 
fury,  and  will  be  asleep  before  our  heads  touch  the  pillow, 
or  I  am  no  interpreter  of  their  temper." 

"I  should  judge  so,  good  Dreams,  (Old  Dreams  I  am 
irreverently  called  by  my  friends  of  the  Keller)  the  way  the 
windows  rattle  and  the  building  shivers  and  the  cracks 
whistle,"  said  Henry,  "  but  we  bow  to  Sir  Oracle.  If  you 
are  the  spirit  of  peace,  you  must  exert  your  power  upon  our 
friend  Herman  there,  for  his  mind  is  as  disturbed  as  the 
elements,  and  he  has  given  us  all  the  blues,  with  his  melan 
choly  murmurings  and  his  distressed  countenance,  and  will 
grant  us  no  satisfaction.  You,  Dreams,  are  the  only  one 
who  has  the  mystic  password  to  his  bosom." 

A  smile  tinged  with  sadness  flitted  across  Herman's  face, 
as  he  replied  to  the  sally,  "  I  am  afraid  I  have  dampened 
the  spirits  of  our  friends  this  evening,  at  least  have  done 
nothing  to  enliven  them.  I  am  in  one  of  my  dismal  moods, 
and  had  you  not  arrived,  I  would  have  myself  taken  a  turn 
outside  with  the  wind." 

"  Henry  has  not  improved  his  feelings,"  remarked  the 
Doctor,  "  by  telling  him  that  his  noble  career  as  a  journa 
list  has  terminated  almost  at  its  commencement.  I  suppose 
he  had  articles  already  prepared  on  die  financial  questions 
of  die  country  a  month  ahead,  like  die  obituary  notices. 
Could  you  write  German  as  well  as  English,  I  might  get 
you  a  position  on  die  Demokrat.  Its  readers  would  under 
stand  Dr.  Lieber  und  Mills  und  Robert  Walker  better  than 
die  subscribers  of  die  Republican,  who  care  more  to  read  die 
stories  of  how  do  you  call  him?  Petroleum  Nasby." 

"  I  think,  Doctor,  you  make  a  mistake,"  said  Henry. 
"  Everybody  appreciated  and  praised  the  editorial  depart 
ment.  The  great  problem  was  the  financial  one;  how  to 
make  it  pay." 

"  Ach !  und  you  think  it  strange  you  bust  up  ?  You  had 
no  household  scandal  column  und  no  man  like  old  James 
Gordon  Bennett  connected  mit  die  institution  to  levy  toll." 

Herman,  leaning  listlessly  back  in  his  chair,  said,  "  I 
regret  of  course  the  suspension  of  the  Daily  Republican,  but 
I  regret  it  rather  because  of  the  disappointment  and  pecu 
niary  loss  to  my  friends  its  proprietors  than  on  account  of 
any  personal  deprivation  to  me.  It  was  certainly  an  enter- 


THE  KELLER  39 

taining  diversion,  a  congenial  pastime.  I  do  not  know  but 
it  was  a  special  act  of  Providence  to  drive  me  from  the 
play-ground  to  serious  work. 

"  But  the  spirit  of  melancholy  hangs  over  me  to-night, 
despite  my  endeavors  to  throw  it  off,  and  I  am  certain  that 
another  crisis  in  my  life  is  about  to  take  place.  You  laugh 
at  this,  but  I  am  sure  a  great  change  in  my  affairs  is  on  the 
eve  of  occurring,  and  my  presence  will  soon  cease  to  cast  a 
gloom  upon  the  pleasures  of  The  Keller. 

"  You've  caught  cold,  or  your  liver  is  not  working,"  said 
the  Doctor.  "  A  good  healthy  man  never  sees  any  omens. 
Poe's  Raven  was  die  creation  of  his  stomach;  he  suffered 
indigestion  und  nightmares  und  fits.  You  talk  about  die 
spirit  of  melancholy;  melancholy  comes  first  from  die 
stomach  or  liver ;  die  brain  then  adopts  it  as  a  bad  habit  like 
drinking  or  smoking  to  excess.  Take  down  old  Burton  und 
go  through  a  course  of  treatment  under  him,  und  I  think 
you  will  see  no  more  prophets  of  evil,  und  as  does  Democ- 
ritus  Jr.  prescribe  mirth  as  a  principal  engine  to  battle  die 
walls  of  melancholy,  a  chief  antidote  und  sufficient  cure  of 
itself,  so  Captain  replenish  die  flagons,  und  '  Burschen  alle  ' 
join  me  in  die  chorus,  'away  mit  melancholy/  und  we  will 
see  if  die  Zauberfloete  cannot  charm  away  die  prophet  of 
evil." 

The  Doctor  then,  having  effectually  washed  away  all  cob 
webs  from  his  throat  with  a  bumper,  in  a  fine  baritone,  led 
off  in  this  gay  chorus,  the  Captain  immediately  following 
with  his  tenor,  and  one  by  one  the  rest  of  us  joining  in  the 
exhilarating  strain,  Herman  last  but  ultimately  the  most 
earnest  of  all.  Indeed,  once  the  spell  broken,  he  seemed  the 
very  spirit  of  jollity  and  followed  up  the  chorus  voluntarily 
with  a  display  of  his  powers  of  mimicry  in  the  classic 
ballad  of  Johnny  Schmoker.  A  merry  Kneipe  was  inaugu 
rated  and  the  evening  flew  by  on  the  wings  of  mirth.  Tales 
were  told,  wit  flashed,  new  songs  were  sung,  glasses  were 
emptied  and  filled;  dull  care  and  gloomy  thought  flew  out 
through  the  chinks  and  were  swept  away  by  the  rollicking 
wind,  and  the  revels  without  and  the  frolic  within  kept  on 
apace,  until  the  first  stroke  of  the  midnight  bell,  when  as  if 
by  magic  the  merry-making  ceased  with  the  final  strain  of 
Gute  Nacht  and  the  wind  died  away  with  a  sough.  As  we 


40     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

separated   and   after   the   accustomed   invocation,,   "  Happy 
thoughts  be  thine  till  sleep  arrive,  then  happy  dreams  till 
dawn/'  the   Doctor,  his   chest  expanding  majestically  and 
his    voice    assuming     a    solemnity,    it   was    difficult   to    tell 
whether   mock   or   serious,   dismissed  us   with   this   homily, 
"  Let  this  evening  be  a  lesson  to  us,  especially  to  die  melan 
choly   Herman.     Whether   we  be  happy  in  this   world  or 
miserable  rests  mit  ourselves.     Die  Lord  created  a  cheerful 
heart,  und  he  intended  man  to  preserve  it  so.     As  long  as  He 
retains  die  guardianship,  it  is  so,  und  only  when  man  him 
self  becomes  die  keeper  is  die  spirit  of  happiness  banished. 
Die  child  life,  except  when  cruel  man  thwarts  die  designs  of 
Providence,  is  a  joyous  one.     What  are  calamities?     What 
are  misfortune  und  troubles?     They  are  never  greater  than 
we  can  bear,  und  looked  at  in  die  past,  are  fine  pictures  we 
would  not  dispose  of  from  our  gallery  of  experience.     Die 
realization    of    sickness    is    lost    in    succeeding   health,    die 
present  is  momentary,  und  memory  is  not  capable  of  phys 
ical  pain ;  when  misfortune  overtakes  us,  our  thoughts  should 
only  be  occupied  mit  die  necessary  steps  to  overcome  it,  und 
not  mit  enervating  regrets.     When  we  sin,  as  every  mem 
ber  of  die  Keller  is  capable  of  doing,  do  penance  for  it 
sincerely,  as  we  Papists  do,  ask  forgiveness  for  it,  mit  die 
determination  in  our  own  minds  that  we  will  not  do  it  again, 
get  absolution,  und  then  let  remorse  go  to  die  devil.     Her 
man,  because  his  toy  journalism  is  snatched  from  him,  gets 
miserable  und  paints   die  next   stage   of  his  life  black  in 
advance ;  I  start  up  a  song,  und  die  blue  devils  all  fly  away, 
und  our  misanthrope  becomes  a  merry  faun,  und  I  trust 
that  in  his  dreams  tonight  bright  visions  will  take  die  place 
of  foul  phantoms.     But,  Herman,  my  dear  boy,  you  must 
always  have  your  choristers  in  your  own  heart,  to  awaken 
cheerful  music;  you  cannot  depend  upon  an  old  Dutchman 
being  around  whenever  you  are  in  die  sulks.     If  you  take 
a  warning  from  a  wise  man  like  myself,  who  has  not  only 
distinguished  himself  in  die  great  universities  of  Germany 
but  who  is  thoroughly  trained  in  what  Byron  calls  '  Nature's 
good  old  college,'  die  occupation  of  that  prophet  of  next  acts 
in  die  drama  will  be  most  effectually  gone.     Stop  wander 
ing  around  inside  yourself,  die  outside  world  was  made  for 
you  to  live  und  move  in;  die  Lord  never  condemned  die  soul 


THE  KELLER  41 

to  solitary  confinement,  nor  did  He  make  die  individual  die 
sole  object  of  his  own  compassion.  Beware  of  cultivating 
what  you  call  melancholy,  of  nurturing  these  unhallowed 
offspring  of  an  illicit  self-love,  for  they  will  grow  stronger 
than  die  neglected  graces  mit  which  God  garrisoned  die 
heart,  und  will  storm  und  ultimately  take  die  citadel  of  die 
soul.  Old  Burton  had  a  prophet  in  die  stars,  und  he  killed 
himself  to  make  their  prophesy  come  true.  Look  out  you 
don't  do  die  same  thing,  und  remember  die  burden  of  his 
song,  '  Naught  so  sweet  as  melancholy,  naught  so  damned 
as  melancholy.'  Prosit!  " 

With  this  valedictory,  we  dispersed  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HERMAN    PREVENTS    A    TRAGEDY 

ACCORDING  to  my  prediction,  the  wind  had  subsided  and  a 
profound  stillness,  deeper  by  contrast  with  the  late  din,  only 
occasionally  broken  by  the  distinct  shriek  of  a  locomotive 
engine,  rested  upon  the  city.     The  snow  fell  thickly  through 
the  screened  moonlight.     Herman's  lodging  was  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  Keller,  just  across  the  park.     He  walked 
on  alone  mechanically  towards  it,  his  mind  wandering  away 
from  the  present,  from  the  event  of  the  evening,  from  the 
thought  of  his  own  doleful  divination  and  the  Doctor's  sage 
advice  and  treatment  of  song  and  jest,  away  to  just  such  a 
night  in  another  land,  a  land  of  legend  and  romance,  where 
two  happy  years  of  his  life  were  spent,  and  from  which  he 
came  back  in  the  midst  of  Civil  strife  to  loss,  through  the 
vandalism  of  war,  of  his  ancestral  home,  with  its  stores  of 
family  relics,  works  of  art  and  beloved  library.     Suddenly 
he  started,  he  was  sure  he  heard  something  like  a  sigh.     He 
looked  around  him.     He  was  in  the  middle  of  the  park. 
All   he   could   see   were   the   leafless   trees   about  him   and 
each,  he   fancied,  gave   him  a  look  of  grim  meaning  and 
pointed  its  scrawny  arms  towards  the  lake.     Herman,  really, 
was  no  believer  in  signs  and  omens ;  he  never  could  see  any 
ghosts,  and  was  considered  a  discordant  spirit  in  all  seances ; 
but  he  had  a  sort  of  superstition  possessed  by  all  poetic 
natures,  and  he  could  not  resist  directing  his  course  accord 
ing  to  what  he  believed  to  be  the  mysterious  indication  of 
the  trees.     Instead  of  continuing  towards  his  dwelling,  he 
therefore  turned  at   right  angles,   and  walked  on  towards 
the  lake,  clutching  tightly  an  oakstick  which  he  carried.     He 
emerged  from  the  park  and  followed  the  street,  now  silent 
as  the  grave, —  though  a  few  hours  before  it  had  been  the 
clattering  thoroughfare  of  the  boisterous  wind, —  past  the 
hotel,    a    great    misshapen    black    pile,    with    a    prison-like 
frown,  from  whose  bosom  not  a  sound  came,  and  on  whose 


HERMAN  PREVENTS  A  TRAGEDY  M 

face  not  a  light  glimmered,,  gloomy  as  the  cathedral 
opposite  which  looked,  through  the  snow  veil,  like  a  huge 
monument  with  granite  base  and  white  marble  shafts, 
sprung  from  the  little  graveyard  at  its  side,  on  by  the  sleep 
ing  shops,  past  succeeding  odd-fashioned,  ill-shapen,  hybrid 
buildings,  combined  tenements  and  shops,  that  invariably 
indicate  the  proximity  of  a  port.  Then  the  street  made  a 
steep  descent,  and  the  sidewalk,  continuing  upon  the  same 
grade  along  the  terrace,  guarded  by  a  flimsy  wooden  railing, 
terminated  in  a  steep  flight  of  steps  at  the  water  front. 
Upon  the  terrace  stood  an  old  neglected  dwelling,  partly  in 
ruins,  which  had  formerly  been  an  aristocratic  mansion, 
ranking  in  elegance  the  villas  flanking  it  on  the  right  which 
dotted  the  lake  shore.  A  portion  of  the  building  was 
inhabited,  and  efforts  had  been  made  to  prevent  it  from  fall 
ing  into  absolute  decay;  settling  timbers  had  been  propped 
in  an  ungainly  way  with  fragments  of  spars  and  crevices 
and  holes  uncouthly  patched  with  stray  pieces  of  boards. 
The  sidewalk  ran  within  a  foot  of  the  tumble-down  steps 
to  the  front  door  and  the  sloping  lawn  which  once  ran 
down  from  them  had  been  cut  off,  for  the  street,  like  a 
slice  of  pound  cake. 

Not  a  soul  had  Herman  encountered  in  his  walk,  and  not 
a  sound  had  broken  upon  his  ear  since  he  left  the  park.  He 
had  reached  the  commencement  of  the  cut,  and  was  about 
to  retrace  his  steps,  inwardly  ridiculing  himself  for  being 
led  by  his  disordered  imagination,  when  an  angry,  threaten 
ing  voice  broke  upon  his  ear,  coming  from  the  direction  of 
the  old  house.  He  hurried  forward,  and  had  reached  the 
corner  of  the  old  building,  when  he  saw  the  figures  of 
two  men,  one  standing  within  the  doorway  and  the  other 
upon  the  sidewalk,  facing  him,  and  overheard  these  words, 
coming  from  the  latter: 

"  You  lie,  you  d — d  old  miser,  you  have  money  and 
plenty  of  it,  and  somewhere  buried  in  this  house,  and  I  will 
have  it,  if  it  be  only  in  payment  of  her  you  let  starve." 

"  I  tell  you,  I  have  no  money,"  said  the  other,  in  a  voice 
weak  and  trembling,  it  seemed  more  from  the  age  of  the 
speaker  than  from  fear,  for  it  was  sharp  and  bitter,  "  and 
it's  you  that  lies,  you  ruffian,,  kidnapper  and  murderer,  when 
you  say  that  I  let  your  victim  starve." 


44  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  I'll  have  no  more  words  with  you,  and  if  you  don't 
disgorge  I'll  strangle  the  life  out  of  your  miserable  carcass, 
then  see  what  I  can  find." 

"  I'd  sooner  die  than  her  destroyer  should  have  from  me 
the  price  of  a  crust  of  bread  to  save  his  life." 
"  Then,  by  God,  take  your  choice." 

The  party  below,  sprang  upon  the  old  man,  clutching  him 
by  the  throat.  In  a  few  seconds  Herman  was  by  them,  and 
had  dealt  the  assailant  a  sharp  crack  on  the  head  with  his 
stick.  His  hat  saved  him  from  being  stunned  by  the  blow, 
and  letting  go  the  old  man,  he  leaped  back  a  pace  and 
drawing  a  knife  from  his  breast  sprang  at  Herman  like  a 
panther.  Herman,  who  was  very  agile  and  always  ready 
in  danger,  darted  aside  and  the  would-be  assassin  came  with 
full  force  against  the  railing  next  the  sidewalk,  which 
snapped  like  a  twig  and  he  fell  some  ten  feet  to  the  street 
below.  Herman  expected,  when  he  looked  down,  to  see 
him  lying  senseless  from  the  fall;  but  he  was  already  on 
his  feet,  and  looking  up  at  him  and  the  old  man  who  had 
joined  him,  his  face  ghastly  and  bleeding  from  a  wound  on 
his  forehead,  holding  his  hat  in  one  hand  and  pointing  with 
his  knife  in  the  other  to  his  intended  victim,  he  hissed 
through  his  teeth: 

"  My  time  will  come  yet,  old  man.  I  will  have  your  life's 
blood.  You  had  better  be  on  your  guard  every  minute  you 
are  alone,  day  or  night,  for  when  you  least  expect  it,  I'll  be 
on  you  and  next  time,  no  talking,  but  my  hand  will  be  on 
your  withered  throat  and  kept  there  till  your  soul  is  writh 
ing  in  hell." 

As   he  spoke,   Herman   gave  a  shrill  whistle,  when  the 
old  man  placed  his  hand  over  his  mouth  and  hurriedly  said: 
"  No,  no,  don't,  don't." 

"  He  wants  a  policeman  less  than  I  do,"  said  he  in  the 
street  with  taunting  voice.  "  He  would  not  have  the  man 
who  tried  to  strangle  him  appear  before  court  and  jury  and 
tell  his  story;  no,  he  would  rather  let  him  go  free  and  run 
the  risk  of  his  making  a  better  job  the  next  time.  He  is 
well  aware  that  if  the  world  knew  that  sooner  than  part 
with  a  dollar  of  his  hoardings  this  foul  fiend  of  a  miser 
let  his  only  daughter  and  her  baby  die  in  misery,  starve, 
he  would  be  hounded  and  cursed  and  pelted  through  the 


HERMAN  PREVENTS  A  TRAGEDY     45 

streets  by  men  and  women  and  children  as  the  basest  out 
law." 

"  You  lie,  you  lie,"  fairly  shrieked  the  old  man,  and  he 
would  have  hurled  himself  upon  the  head  of  his  torturer, 
had  not  Herman,  anticipating  his  design,  seized  and  held 
him. 

"  I  shall  remember  you,  too,  young  meddler,  and  teach 
you  some  day  how  to  mix  in  other  people's  private  affairs." 

With  these  words,  addressed  to  Herman,  accompanied 
with  a  menacing  look  from  his  vicious  eyes,  he  went  off  in 
the  direction  of  the  docks.  The  old  man  looked  after  him, 
nervously  clenching  and  unclenching  his  lean  hands,  mutter 
ing,  "  villain ;  murderer ;  devil !  "  until  he  had  disappeared 
in  the  snow.  Then  turning  to  Herman,  he  said  piteously: 

"  You  must  not  believe  what  that  monster  says.  I  thank 
you  for  saving  my  life.  I  never  can  repay  you;  but  you 
cannot  believe  what  he  said,  can  you;  I  don't  look  like  such 
a  cruel  being,  do  I?  No,  no,  he  lies,  he  lies.  Poor  girl, 
she  knows  the  truth  now  and  she's  praying  for  me  in 
heaven." 

Herman  certainly  thought  that  the  forlorn  creature 
before  him,  with  his  mournful  blue  eyes,  long,  thin  hair,  his 
body  emaciated  and  stooping,  looked  anything  but  cruel  and 
so  told  him  in  his  gentle  way. 

"  And,"  he  continued,  "  how  could  one  possibly  believe 
such  a  horrible  looking  assassin.  But,  do  you  live  here 
alone,  in  this  old  house?  You  had  better  come  with  me  to 
my  lodging  and  remain  tonight.  You  will  be  nervous  here 
and  it  is  very  questionable  if  you  would  be  safe." 

"  No,  there  is  no  danger  now.  He  will  not  come  back. 
I'm  not  afraid  and  I  could  not  sleep  outside  my  own  house. 
It  is  too  late;  go  home,  don't  mind  me,  I  shall  rest  without 
fear.  And  please  don't  believe  anything  you  heard  him 
say.  And  let  me  have  your  name  and  address  and  I  will 
come  to  see  you.  Maybe  to-morrow.  I  thank  you  so  much. 
You're  a  gallant  and  a  kind  young  man." 

Herman  did  as  he  desired,  and  told  him  that  he  would 
be  very  glad  to  see  him  and  learn  to  know  him,  and  then 
he  bade  him  good  night. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OLD   DAVID    SATERLEE 

HERMAN'S  office  was  with  that  of  Col.  Curtin,  a  member 
of  the  secession  congress  and  later  a  colonel  in  the  Union 
army,  an  old  lawyer  of  limited  local  practice,  but  whose 
briefs  were  fat  and  his  circuit  was  a  wide  one. 

The  Colonel  was  not  at  the  office  the  morning  after  the 
incident  just  narrated;  so  Herman  had  it  all  to  himself  and 
his  blue  devils.  He  took  up  the  latest  law  review,  and 
read  over  and  over  again  an  essay  on  Extraordinary  Rem 
edies,  without  his  being  able  to  fix  a  single  passage  upon  his 
mind.  He  then  thought  of  the  morning  paper  and  his  last 
editorial,  a  comparison  between  Lincoln  and  Johnson; 
there  he  found  it,  side  by  side  with  the  valedictory. 

"  Good  Company,"  he  muttered,  "  assassination  and 
impeachment." 

He  tried  to  write  a  letter  to  a  friend,  but  his  pen  was 
paralyzed  and  his  brain  sterile,  and  he  abandoned  it  in 
disgust.  Giving  up  the  idea  of  work,  he  resigned  himself 
to  his  thoughts,  such  as  they  were.  The  events  of  last 
evening  naturally  came  into  his  mind,  and  he  speculated 
upon  the  secret  history  of  the  actors,  the  controlling  motive 
of  the  attempt  at  assassination  on  the  one  part,  what 
prompted  the  shielding  from  justice  on  the  other,  and  the 
cause  of  the  deep  passion  of  both.  Had  he  been  in  a  better 
humor,  he  would  have  constructed  a  grand  drama  from  this 
one  scene.  In  the  midst  of  his  revery,  there  came  a  light 
tap  at  the  door,  and,  in  answer  to  Herman's  invitation  to 
come  in,  the  door  opened  and  the  old  gentleman  of  last 
night  crept  in,  carefully  shut  the  door  and  came  forward, 
nervously  holding  in  one  hand  his  old  broad,  straight- 
brimmed  beaver,  the  crown  now  frosted  with  snow,  and 
stretching  the  other  out,  which  trembled  with  cold  or  age,  a 
little  ways  from  his  body  towards  Herman,  who  had  risen 
to  meet  him. 

46 


OLD  DAVID  SATERLEE  47 

"How  do  you  do?  How  do  you  do,  my  brave  young 
man?  I  came  to  thank  you  again  for  your  kindness  to  a 
poor,  weak  old  man." 

"  There  is  nothing  to  merit  thanks  in  preventing  a  brutal 
murder,  when  it  could  be  done  without  risk." 

"  No,  but  it  wasn't  without  risk,  he  was  powerful  and 
ferocious,  and  would  have  assassinated  you,  if  you  had  not 
been  so  active  and  so  cool. 

"  Come  sit  by  the  fire,"  said  Herman ;  "  it  is  very  cold 
and  damp,  you  seem  chilled.  Let  me  make  you  a  hot  drink. 
I  have  a  little  brandy  and  hot  water,  and  the  Colonel  is 
always  provided  with  sugar  and  a  lemon.  It  will  warm 
you  more  quickly  than  the  hottest  fire." 

"  No,  no,  no  spirits.  I  would  not  for  a  fortune,  no  not 
even  for  money,  would  I  touch  one  drop  of  liquor ;  and  oh ! 
my  brave  young  man,  do  not  you  drink  it,  oh !  it  is 
damnable;  it  will  take  away  all  that  youth,  all  that  bright 
fresh  tinge  of  health  from  your  cheeks,  all  that  quickness, 
all  that  coolness,  it  will  prostitute  you ;  it  will  make  a  brute 
of  you,  it  will  drown  your  brain,  and,  more  horrible  than 
all,  it  will  put  murder  in  your  heart.  Yes,  murder  in  a 
heart,  that  was  as  innocent  as  an  angel.  Oh,  it  is  a  terrible 
curse.  Beware  of  it,  beware  of  it." 

The  old  man  had  arisen,  and  as  he  spoke  he  held  up  his 
thin  trembling  hand,  and  his  eyes  glittered  wildly,  and  his 
lips  quivered,  his  thin  grey  hair  seemed  to  wave  backward 
and  forward,  like  a  pendulum,  and  his  lean  body  shook. 
Herman,  for  the  moment,  believed  that  he  had  a  kinsman 
of  the  ancient  Mariner  as  a  guest;  but  the  old  gentleman 
grew  calm  as  suddenly  as  he  had  become  excited,  and  sat 
down,  bending  over  the  stove,  nervously  clenching  and 
unclenching  his  lean  hands,  which  appeared  to  be  his 
habit. 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Thomas ;  I  am  a  little  nervous  this 
morning,  and  drinking  is  such  a  curse,  indeed  it  is.  I  hope 
you  will  not  get  in  the  habit  of  it ;  it  don't  seem  to  harm  you 
at  first,  and  it  may  do  you  good  temporarily,  but  if  affliction 
or  misfortune  come  upon  you,  it  will  make  you  mad.  Yes, 
yes,  some  it  makes  maniacs  of,  some  it  turns  into  beasts, 
and  only  a  few  are  rescued  from  damnation."  He  went  on 
clenching  and  unclenching  his  bony  fingers. 


48     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  No  danger,  indeed,  of  its  ever  getting  the  best  of  me ; 
it  has  not  yet,  and  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  the  world, 
and  been  thrown  with  very  dissipated  people;  but  you  have 
not  yet  told  me  your  name,  sir." 

"  No ;  that  is  so.  Of  course,  you  want  to  know  who  I  am, 
and  all  about  me;  but  I  can't  tell  you  much.  I  have  no 
history  worth  telling.  I  am  only  a  poor  old  man,  very,  very 
poor,  and  very  old,  not  so  much  in  years  as  in  heart.  And 
you  need  never  ask  any  questions  about  me,  for  you  can 
learn  nothing.  Few  know  me  and  nobody  cares  for  me,  and 
my  life  has  been  very  uninteresting.  My  name  is  Saterlee, 
David  Saterlee.  I  suppose  I  am  generally  called  '  Old 
Saterlee '  by  the  neighbors  that  notice  me  at  all." 

"  Indeed,  I  am  very  glad  to  have  met  you,"  said  Herman, 
and  honestly,  for  a  feeling  of  sympathy  with  the  lonely  old 
man  had  kindled  in  his  heart,  shut  to  the  worldly  and 
prosperous,  but  always  open  to  the  simple-minded  and 
afflicted,  "  and  you  must  come  often  and  see  me,  and  we 
will  know  each  other  better,  and  if  ever  I  can  do  anything 
for  you,  in  the  way  of  business  or  writing,  you  must  let  me 
know,  and  it  will  be  a  pleasure  for  me." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  my  brave  young  man,  and  I  thank 
you  very  much.  I  will  come  to  see  you,  but  I  won't  bother 
you,  and  I  will  always  go  away  if  you  are  busy  or  do  not 
feel  like  being  disturbed.  But  you  can  do  nothing  for  me. 
A  poor  old  man  like  me  has  no  business  a  lawyer  can  do,  not 
even  to  make  his  will.  I  have  just  enough  to  keep  me  from 
absolute  want  till  I  die,  and  I  have  no  one  to  write  to,  no 
kindred  and  no  friends  that  care  for  me." 

"  And  why  should  a  desperate  robber  and  assassin  seek 
such  a  forlorn  creature  as  his  victim?"  thought  Herman, 
as  he  looked  at  him  compassionately.  The  old  man  seemed 
to  divine  his  thoughts  and  hurriedly  replied  to  them. 

"  Don't  think  any  more  about  what  you  saw  last  night, 
and  never  speak  about  it,  and  oh!  don't  believe  what  that 
monster  said,  it  is  a  lie,  a  foul,  malicious  lie,  and  he  is  a 
wicked,  a  horribly  wicked  fiend." 

And  he  buried  his  head  in  his  hands  and  rocked  back 
and  forth  in  his  chair,  and  muttered  to  himself,  and  Herman 
caught  the  words,  "  Oh,  Mary,  oh,  my  daughter,  you  know 
how  wicked,  how  false,  and  you  know  how  I  loved  you, 


OLD  DAVID  SATERLEE  49 

and  you  are  praying  in  heaven  for  me  now,  for  your  poor, 
broken-hearted  father,  are  you  not  ?  "  At  last  he  looked  up 
and  said,  "  I  fear  I  am  very  weak  and  nervous,  I  did  not 
sleep  last  night.  You  must  not  mind  me ;  as  soon  as  I  get  a 
little  warmed  I  will  go." 

"  You  do  not  disturb  me  at  all,"  said  Herman,  "  I  am 
glad  to  have  you  with  me,  as  I  am  very  lonely  to-day." 

"  Lonely !  You  must  not  get  lonely ;  I  did  not  get  lonely, 
when  I  was  young,  when  I  had  my  beautiful  books,  such 
dear,  unchanging  friends,  and  my  happy  thoughts  as  com 
panions,  and  bright  dreams  of  the  future  to  cheer  me.  You 
should  have  these  now." 

"  Yes,"  said  Herman,  "  I  have  these  at  times,  but  one 
can't  live  all  the  time  in  such  society,  he  needs  some  sort 
of  incarnate  companionship,  or  else  he  will  become  a  use 
less  dreamer,  a  fate  which  I  am  warned  against." 

"  That  is  so,  and  so  I  thought  once,  I  remember,  and  I 
laid  aside  my  books  for  a  happier  companionship,  and  I 
never  knew  then  what  loneliness  was,  and  the  time  passed 
by  so  quickly,  and  then  I  lost  it,  and  with  it  I  lost  every 
thing,  and  I  was  crushed  down,  and  so  terribly  desolate, 
and  I  could  not  go  back  to  my  books.  Stay  with  your  books, 
my  dear  boy,  don't  try  other  loves;  books  grow  dreary  at 
times,  but  they  don't  bring  bitter  grief  or  regret  or  remorse. 
And  yet,"  he  continued,  speaking  to  himself,  "  would  I 
surrender  my  love  for  my  dear  ones  in  heaven,  the  hope  of 
meeting  them  in  a  world  of  joy  and  peace,  for  youth  and 
its  ideals?  No,  better  so."  Then  he  looked  up  and  said, 
"  I  must  go  now,  but  I  will  come  soon  again,  maybe 
to-morrow,  and  you  must  talk  to  me,  and  tell  me  about 
yourself,  and  your  thoughts  and  your  plans  and  your 
troubles.  I'm  very  wise,  very  discreet,  and  I  may  some 
times  help  you,  not  with  money,  not  with  money,  for  I  am 
very  poor,  very  poor,  but  I  can  sympathize  with  you  and  am 
not  too  foolish  to  advise  you  in  some  things.  Good-by,  I 
hear  someone  coming  up  the  stairs,"  and  the  old  man  got  up 
hurriedly  and  went  out  the  door,  as  Colonel  Curtin  entered. 
The  Colonel  looked  at  him  and  then  at  Herman  curiously, 
and  said,  "  Good  morning,  David.  It  is  hardly  the  proper 
day  for  one  so  frail  as  you  to  be  outdoors." 

"  Good  morning,  Colonel,  I'm  not  so  weak  as  you  think; 


«0     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

it  will  not  be  bad  weather  that  takes  me  off/'  and  he  went 
shivering  down  the  stairs. 

"  I  brought  you  the  mail,"  said  the  Colonel  to  Herman, 
and  handed  him  a  letter.  "  I  see  you  have  had  a  strange 
visitor.  David  is  not  seeking  legal  advice,  is  he  ?"  Herman 
then  related  the  adventure  of  last  evening,  omitting  the 
conversation  between  the  two  and  asked  him  if  he  knew 
anything  of  his  history. 

"  Of  late  years  I  have  seen  little  of  him/'  replied  the 
Colonel.  "  He  leads  the  life  of  a  hermit  in  the  old  house 
where  you  saw  him  last  night,  and  shuns  the  society  of  his 
old  friends.  He  was  my  college  chum,  and  one  of  the 
brightest  boys  in  the  class,  a  fine  classical  scholar  and  beau 
tiful  writer,  and  was  a  perfect  prince  of  good  fellows.  We 
all  predicted  that  he  would  be  a  poet  and  a  great  spend 
thrift.  He  studied  law  and  started  practice  in  Philadelphia 
under  fine  auspices,  and  soon  took  a  prominent  position  at 
the  bar.  On  a  visit  here  he  met  and  fell  in  love  with  Miss 
Norman,  a  beautiful  girl,  the  belle  of  the  town,  an  orphan 
whose  home  was  in  this  same  house,  then  a  handsome 
property.  He  was  married  to  her  and  took  her  to  Philadel 
phia  to  live.  They  had  one  child,  a  daughter.  His  wife 
died  when  the  child  was  about  twelve  years  old.  He  then 
broke  up  his  Philadelphia  home,  and  came  with  her  to  live 
here  in  his  wife's  old  home.  He  seemed  independent  in 
fortune,  had  retired  from  active  practice  and  occupied  him 
self  with  his  books.  He  was  wrapped  up  in  his  daughter, 
had  her  taught  the  accomplishments  thoroughly,  and  spent  a 
year  with  her  in  Europe.  Not  long  after  his  return,  she  be 
came  fascinated  with  a  fellow  who  had  secured  the  entree, 
one  hardly  can  tell  how,  into  society,  a  brilliant  and  showy 
man,  a  gambler  and  libertine,  as  it  turned  out.  Her  father 
read  his  true  character,  and  as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  in 
timacy  which  arose  between  them,  forbade  its  continuance. 
The  result  was  she  eloped  with  him,  and  married  him  clan 
destinely,  and  a  year  afterwards,  I  believe,  she  died  in 
giving  birth  to  a  child  which  barely  survived  her,  I  have 
been  told,  abandoned  in  destitution.  When  David  learned 
of  his  daughter's  flight,  his  heart  broke.  He  started  to 
drink  heavily,  became  reckless  and  violent,  was  completely 


OLD  DAVID  SATERLEE  51 

insane  in  his  drunken  moments,  and  finally  became  danger 
ously  ill.  He  got  up  from  his  bed,  after  a  long  siege,  a 
shattered  man.  He  was  almost  as  you  see  him  now.  He 
shut  himself  up  in  his  house,  allowed  the  city,  for  a  nominal 
sum,  to  destroy  his  property  for  street  purposes,  refused  all 
intercourse  with  his  old  friends,  and  denied  himself  every 
thing  but  the  bare  necessities  of  life.  People  do  not  know 
whether  he  disposed  of  his  means  in  his  insane  moments,  or 
whether  his  whole  nature  has  changed,  and  he  has  become 
a  miser,  and  it  is  sad  sometimes  to  place  side  by  side  the 
young  man  and  the  old  man,  the  beginning  and  end  of  a  life 
you  have  known." 

Herman's  letter  was  from  Robert  McFarland,  an  old 
playmate  and  dear  friend  whom  he  regarded  as  a  model 
of  manliness,  and  for  whose  ability  and  sterling  traits  of 
character  he  had  the  greatest  admiration,  and  with  whom 
he  often  mournfully  contrasted  his  fickle,  wayward  self.  It 
was  from  Santa  Susana,  Southern  California,  where  for  the 
past  four  years  he  had  been  superintending  extensive  oil 
interests  owned  by  an  eastern  capitalist.  The  letter 
described  in  glowing  terms  the  beauty  and  rich  resources 
of  this  wonderful  land,  its  marvellous  climate,  its  fertility 
of  soil,  and  sketched  its  history  from  the  foundation  of  the 
Franciscan  Missions  to  the  present  time,  and  was  calculated 
to  charm  a  much  less  susceptible  being  than  Herman,  and 
closed  with  these  words : 

"  I  believe  that  in  no  place  in  America  is  there  so  promis 
ing  an  opening  for  a  young,  energetic,  wide  awake  lawyer, 
as  this  Southern  California.  If  you  should  contemplate 
taking  your  shingle  down  in  E.,  let  me  urge  you  then  to 
come  here.  But,  let  me  know  before  you  do  so,  that  I  may 
tell  you  more  definitely  about  our  prospects.  Do  not,  how 
ever,  let  one  word  that  I  say  have  any  influence  to  make  you 
dissatisfied  with  E.,  for  you're  bound  to  succeed  anywhere; 
but  in  case  you  don't  like  E.,  I  want  you  out  here.  We'll 
swim,  or  rather  float  down  the  tide  together,  if  you  are 
agreed;  though,  of  course,  it  must  land  you  on  the  higher 
eminence.  It  is  easier  for  a  man  of  decided  character  to 
make  money  in  California  than  in  any  other  place  in  the 
United  States  I  know  of.  I  assure  you,  the  advantages 


62     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

it  possesses  over  all  other  states,,  in  the  way  of  climate 
and  products,  make  it  the  choice  spot  on  the  continent  for 
a  home." 

The  letter  finished,  Herman  handed  it  to  the  Colonel, 
and  while  he  was  reading  it,  his  own  fancy  went  immedi 
ately  to  work  building  castles  in  the  air.  Enthusiast  as 
he  was,  every  new  and  strange  project  was  in  advance 
crowned  with  brilliant  success;  obstacles  and  impediments 
were  only  such  as  existed  in  fairy  tales  that  the  hero  prince 
bravely  overcame. 

"  A  little  exaggerated,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  but  I  have  no 
doubt  a  truthful  picture  drawn  by  the  pencil  of  an  enthu 
siast.  California  will  be  a  great  state,  and  the  southern 
part,  which  my  poor  friends,  Broderick  and  Col.  Baker,  used 
to  call  Cow  Countries,  will  one  day  be  the  richest  and  the 
most  attractive  portion  of  the  state,  and  ultimately  will 
become  a  sovereign  commonwealth  herself.  The  surface 
of  the  earth  and  not  its  bowels  produce  lasting  wealth  and 
enduring  prosperity.  The  oil  interests  will  never  per 
manently  benefit  the  state,  any  more  than  the  gold  and 
silver  mines,  whose  mission  was  to  attract  a  hardy,  courage 
ous  and  enterprising  population  to  a  field  possessing  other 
legitimate  continuing  resources,  that  only  need  the  hand 
of  toil  to  develop.  Those  large  valleys  that  were  pur 
chased  only  for  the  mountain's  ribs,  will  prove  the  great 
harvest  to  the  owners  and  the  basis  of  the  country's  pros 
perity.  I  have  watched  the  growth  of  California  from 
its  birth.  It  was  a  matter  of  speculation  to  me  whether 
it  would  enter  the  Union  handicapped  with  what  I  deemed 
an  institution  doomed  to  death  by  a  civilized  world,  or 
whether  the  sturdy  democratic  elements  among  the  pioneers 
would  by  honest  strength  overcome  the  ability,  shrewdness 
and  adroitness  of  Gwin  and  his  distinguished  associates. 

"  I  was  greatly  interested  in  Broderick  too,  whom  I  knew 
very  well.  There  was  a  seriousness  in  his  nature,  and 
his  rough  exterior  hid  a  crude  genius,  for  which  he  was 
never  given  credit.  I  had  many  quiet  talks  with  him, 
away  from  the  scenes  of  his  popular  leadership,  and  he 
struck  me  as  one  of  those  rough  diamonds,  so  often  selected 
in  the  inscrutable  ways  of  Providence  to  carry  out  some 
great  purpose.  He  anticipated  his  fate,  and,  with  a  sort 


OLD  DAVID  SATERLEE  53 

of  mournfulness,  told  me  that  his  return  to  California  was 
but  going  to  his  grave." 

Herman  then  asked  him  if  he  thought  that  it  would  be  the 
country  for  him  to  make  his  permanent  home  in. 

"  There  is  much  to  be  considered/'  said  the  Colonel,  and 
he  looked  at  the  young  man  with  an  affectionate  smile. 
"  In  the  first  place,  you  must  study  yourself,  not  with  a 
decision  already  rendered  in  your  mind,  but  impartially 
examine  yourself  and  determine  whether  or  not  you  can 
stand  the  contact  with  rough  natures,  can  compete  with 
shrewd  unconscionable  men  of  brazen  assurance,  whether 
or  not  you  possess  the  latent  energy  to  keep  pace  with  the 
doings  of  a  restless,  untiring,  pushing  people,  who  are 
capable  of  almost  any  hardships  and  laugh  at  all  obstacles 
to  the  success  of  their  schemes.  You  will  be  obliged  to 
keep  your  eyes  wide  open,  and  defer  all  dreaming  till 
the  time  you  may  have  a  chance  to  sleep.  And  do  not 
think  that  you  go  among  an  inferior  class  of  professional 
men;  some  of  the  brightest,  most  talented,  most  highly 
educated  young  men  of  the  country  have  been  since  the 
first  gold  fever  tramping  to  California.  Her  legisla 
tion  and  her  law  bear  the  marks  of  a  great  creative 
genius,  whom  I  consider  the  ablest  jurist  upon  the  United 
States  Supreme  bench,  Stephen  J.  Field.  And  the  bar 
of  San  Francisco  stands  high  for  learning  and  ability, 
and  the  California  reports  are  cited  with  great  respect. 
No,  if  you  adopt  it  as  your  field,  you  must  expect  to  suc 
ceed  only  by  hard  labor,  and  by  catching  the  pioneer's 
spirit  of  progress.  You  must  leave  behind  old  monuments, 
conservatism,  conventionalities  and  especially  romance. 
Victories  are  only  won  by  fighting,  wherever  you  go;  but  I 
believe  the  booty  is  better  worth  the  struggle  than  any  you 
can  expect  ever  to  obtain  here.  If  you  feel  within  yourself 
that  you  are  able  to  bear  the  roughing,  then  go.  As  much 
as  I  would  hate  to  see  you  leave  us,  I  can  tell  that  your 
nature  is  too  restless,  your  aspirations  too  lofty  for  you  to  be 
happy  in  a  tame,  uneventful  sphere  in  life." 

The  Colonel's  advice  set  Herman  to  thinking  seriously, 
and  he  determined  that  he  would  take  no  action  until  he  had 
thoroughly  studied  the  pros  and  cons,  and  after  consulta 
tion  with  judicious  friends,  and  that  he  would  religiously 


54  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

refrain  from  painting  in  his  mind  any  fancy  pictures  con 
cerning  it.  Then  there  was  another  problem  to  solve, 
which  bid  fair  to  be  the  main  one,  where  was  the  money 
to  be  obtained  with  which  to  make  the  transportation?  He 
that  night  submitted  the  letter  to  his  friends  of  the  Keller. 
They  all,  at  first  blush,  opposed  even  the  consideration  of 
a  proposition  towards  his  abandoning  his  present  location 
which  he  had  after  due  consideration  selected  whereat  to 
hang  out  his  sign,  talked  of  the  "  rolling-stone,  etc. ;  "  they 
hated  to  have  him  go  from  their  midst,  and  the  Doctor  said, 
"  Don't  you  think  it's  that  prophet  of  evil  the  Doctor  said, 
destruction?"  But  they  had  to  recognize  the  barrenness 
of  the  present  field,  and  admitted  that  everyone  had  not 
the  same  philosophy  as  the  Captain,  and  that  a  young  man 
naturally  would  like  to  earn  his  living  in  his  chosen 
trade.  They  then  more  unselfishly  discussed  the  advan 
tage  to  be  gained  by  the  change,  and  it  was  at  last 
decided  that  more  enlightenment  was  required,  and  some 
thing  more  definite  proposed  before  a  final  verdict  could 
be  rendered,  and  in  the  meanwhile  the  idea  was  considered 
entertainable.  Before  retiring  Herman  wrote  to  his  friend 
for  further  and  detailed  information,  and  explained  his 
position  and  dearth  of  prospects,  and  that  he  could  easily 
pull  up  his  stakes  and  start  for  other  fields,  if  they  prom 
ised  a  better  harvest;  but  that  it  would  be  as  much  as  he 
could  possibly  accomplish  to  provide  the  means  of  reach 
ing  California,  and  he  would  need  some  business  assured; 
that  he  sincerely  wished  to  identify  his  fortunes  with  those 
of  his  old  friend,  and  he  spoke  truthfully,  and  he  felt  that 
with  such  a  companion  and  such  a  mentor,  success  must 
crown  his  efforts. 


CHAPTER  VII 

FAREWELL  TO  THE   KELLER 

HERMAN  had  received  another  letter  in  reply  to  the  one 
he  wrote  to  his  friend  Robert,  in  which  he  informed  him  of 
his  intention  to  run  East  almost  immediately  for  a  few 
weeks'  visit,  when  he  would  see  him  and  they  would  talk 
over  the  projects  of  casting  his  lot  in  Southern  California. 

They  met,  and  after  a  fair  discussion  of  the  matter,  in 
the  light  of  all  the  facts,  Robert  putting  to  one  side  his 
personal  desire  to  have  his  old  friend  near  him,  and  Her 
man  suppressing,  as  much  as  he  could,  his  enthusiasm 
over  unexplored  fields,  it  was  determined  that  if  our  friend 
could  so  arrange  his  affairs,  and  obtain  the  means  to  place 
himself  at  the  town  of  St.  Agnes,  in  Southern  California, 
he  would  be  assured  of  a  livelihood  from  the  beginning, 
with  fair  hopes  of  future  prosperity  and  distinction. 

Thanks  to  the  bounty  of  kind  friends  who  seemed  to 
take  an  affectionate  interest  in  his  welfare,  Herman  was 
enabled  to  overcome  the  pecuniary  obstacle,  and  having 
no  clients,  his  affairs  were  easily  settled,  and  his  loves  and 
affections,  except  the  love  which  flows  in  blood,  purest, 
the  most  lasting,  and  which  is  so  often  doomed  to  exist  apart 
from  its  object,  were  all  sealed  in  urns,  and  thus  the  pack 
ing  and  transportation  of  his  household  effects,  including 
the  gods  and  the  urns,  were  without  difficulty  effected. 

No  one  was  more  deeply  grieved  to  have  Herman  go 
than  David  Saterlee,  although  he  uttered  not  a  word  in 
discouragement  of  his  purpose,  in  fact  said: 

"  You  will  do  better  in  a  new  country,  you  will  make 
money,  you  will  make  friends  better  able  to  assist  you 
than  those  here,  and  maybe  you  will  be  a  great  man.  I 
hope  so,  I  hope  that  you  will  survive  the  ordeal  to  which 
you  will  be  submitted.  You  must  write  to  me  often,  al 
ways  about  yourself,  tell  me  everything.  Your  letters  will 

55 


56  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

cheer  me,  and  if  ever  I  can  do  anything  for  you,  let 
me  know;  anything  but  give  money,  I  can't  do  that,  I  ana 
so  poor;  but  some  day  I  may  help  you  and  be  a  comfort 
to  you  when  you  need  it." 

But  until  the  day  of  his  departure,  he  hung  about  him, 
and  seemed  very  sad,  and  one  beautiful  and  peaceful  even 
ing  he  invited  him  to  go  with  him  to  the  graveyard  and  they 
went  to  a  green  lot,  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  rough-hewn 
lime-stone,  over  which  the  ivy  was  already  creeping.  Two 
little  marble  slabs  marked  two  mounds,  each  of  which  was 
sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mary  Saterlee;  beloved  wife  and 
beloved  daughter  slept  side  by  side.  A  simple  white 
marble  cross  stood  between  them  and  bore  the  inscription, 
"  Mary."  An  old  spruce  tree  bent  over  them  and  a  rare 
rose  bush  was  at  the  foot  of  each,  and  lilies-of-the-valley 
and  violets  nestled  in  their  bosom.  A  loving  care  seemed 
to  have  been  bestowed  upon  the  lots  and  the  plants.  The 
old  man  first  taking  off  his  hat  —  and  Herman  did  the 
same  —  unlocked  a  little  iron  wicket  and  they  went  in. 

"  There  are  my  darlings,"  the  old  man  said,  "  all  I  have 
to  love  me  sleep  here.  And  their  pure  spirits  are  praying 
for  me  in  heaven  now  and  support  me  and  cheer  me  and 
will  watch  over  me  until  I  lie  down  to  rest  beside  them." 

He  took  from  his  bosom  a  packet  in  which  were  wrapped 
two  beautiful  camomiles,  and  kneeling  down  placed  one  on 
each  grave.  Then  he  bowed  his  head  upon  the  cross,  his 
grey  hair  fluttering  in  the  breeze  and  his  hands  trembling, 
and  seemed  to  pray,  and  Herman  stood  beside  him,  deeply 
moved,  and  himself  offered  a  petition  for  the  rest  and 
happiness  of  the  desolate  old  man. 

The  Keller  was  assembled  in  force  the  night  before  his 
departure,  and  some  little  extras  were  provided,  such  as 
Welsh-rarebit  and  Rhine-wine,  and  it  was  sought  to  make 
the  evening  as  jolly  as  possible,  and  when  looked  at  in  the 
past,  if  the  jollity  was  tempered  with  a  little  sadness  and 
the  humor  flavored  with  pathos,  it  was  a  very  happy 
evening.  They  predicted  for  him  golden  harvests  and 
wonderful  achievements,  and  married  him  to  a  native 
woman,  with  olive  complexion  and  black,  amorous  eyes, 
and  that  tinge  upon  the  upper  lip,  concerning  which  an 
enthusiastic  newspaper  reporter  once  said,  "  It  is  as  much 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  KELLER  «7 

essential   to   the   beauty   of   a   brunette,   as   the   blush  that 
mantles   her   cheek." 

When  he  felt  the  magic  moment  arrive,,  when  each 
bosom  was  mellowed,  each  heart  thawed  out,  and  when 
he  knew  his  words  would  be  greeted  with  warmth  and 
"  Enthusiasmus,"  as  he  termed  it,  the  Doctor  arose  from 
his  chair,  emptied  and  refilled  his  colossal  mug,  distended 
his  chest,  and  in  rich  melodramatic  style,  proposed  the 
health  of  the  parting  friend  in  the  following  address,  which 
the  Captain  afterwards  maliciously  accused  him  of  having 
taken  a  week  to  prepare: 

"  It  is  well,  gentlemen,  that  I,  on  behalf  of  die  Keller 
its   senior  und  its  Oberst,  in  proposing  die  health  of  our 
iriend   who  to-morrow   flies   forth  to   other   und,  we   hope, 
more   fecund   fields   und  greener  pasturage,   do   speed   him 
mit  words  of  counsel  und  advice  as  well  as  mit  die  bumper's 
inspiration.     Not   that    I    should   pit   my    feeble   utterance 
against   die   silent   eloquence,    die   voiceless    benediction    of 
die   stirrup-cup,   but   before   die   final   moment   comes,   und 
ere  we  mingle  die  unseen  tear  drops  of  our  weeping  hearts 
mit  die   blessed  chrystals   of  die  parting  pledge,   I   would 
cast   into   his    knapsack   some   articles    of   worldly   wisdom 
which  I  myself  gathered  under  many  difficulties,  und  which 
may  be  of  use  to  him.     In  leaving  die  Keller,  which  repre 
sents  die  intellect,  learning,  social  character  und  customs, 
political  aspect  und  moral  status  of  die  entire  community 
where  it  is  located,  he  goes  forth  to,  absolutely  mit  him,  a 
terra  incognita,  if  I  may  be  pardoned   for   employing  die 
words   of   a   dead   language   in   a   mushroom   age   that   has 
a    contempt    for    anything    exhumad    from    die    rich    grave 
from   which   it   springs   und    has    a   fungus   existence.     He 
enters   a  country  totally  different  from  die  one  where  his 
tastes   were   formed,  und  his  character  moulded,  a  society 
in   discord  mit   die    solidity,   consistency   und   flavor   of   an 
old   und   mellow   civilization,  und  different   from   die   mild 
conservatism  of  his  childhood  home  und  present  sojourning 
place,  und  I  fear  he  is  not  in  die  best  of  training  for  die 
contest  mit  die  personalities,  methods  und  devices  of  die 
miners  und  sappers  und  foragers  of  die  frontier  state.     In 
die  first  place,  my  dear  friend,  I  recommend  that  you  put 
in    your    travelling    bag    die    Physiognomik    of    that   good 


58  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

old  Swiss,  Lavater,  who,  although  he  was  a  Swiss  und 
could  consequently  speak  no  language  correctly,  could  read 
die  human  hearts  like  a  book,  from  die  lineaments  of  die 
face  und  die  movement  of  die  form;  und  don't  think  lightly 
of  him  or  die  art  to  interpret  die  shadows  thrown  by  die 
thoughts  und  passions  of  man  upon  die  countenance,  figure 
und  actions,  because  a  grey-headed  old  fool  who  goes 
around  die  country  feeling  bumps  adopts  him  as  a  patron 
saint,  to  throw  an  atmosphere  of  sanctity  about  his  quack 
ery.  Die  familiar  passion,  die  chronic  sentiment,  flashed 
in  die  camera-obscura  upon  die  sensitive  features,  by  die 
trained  eye  und  keen  perception  of  die  artist  may  be  at 
once  detected;  by  repeated  action  it  becomes  an  engraving, 
und  anyone  may  trace  its  lines,  as  anyone  can  see  die 
resemblance  of  Darwin's  picture  to  die  orang-outang.  It 
is  a  threadbare  axiom  that  you  must  not  trust  a  man  that 
cannot  look  you  square  in  die  eye;  but  good-natured  people 
like  yourself,  are  apt  to  recognize  exceptions  to  die  rule, 
which  I  say  never  exist,  for  it  is  inflexible  as  die  sphinx's 
face;  und  let  me  warn  you  here,  to  never  permit  your 
Roman  Catholic  idea  that  good  exists  in  everyone,  warp 
your  judgment  of  human  nature  formed  from  observance 
of  die  infallible  signs  die  soul  is  permitted  to  hang  out  upon 
die  body.  Die  great  virtue  is  to  know  und  understand,  und 
then  be  lenient  und  charitable;  die  gentle,  childlike  Nazar- 
ene  loved  poor  man,  but  yet  He  knew  him  well;  He  could 
read  die  treacherous  heart  of  die  betrayer  Judas  und  fore 
told  die  cowardice  of  die  fisherman,  Peter.  Mit  super 
ficial  observers  die  dogged,  downcast  look  is  often  con 
founded  mit  nervousness  und  shyness  that  avert  die  timid 
glance,  as  they  make  die  unstrung  muscles  play  unnatur 
ally,  like  die  action  of  electricity  on  die  legs  of  frogs,  und 
produce  often  a  brusqueness  und  affectation;  but  die  dif 
ference  is  as  easily  detected  as  die  cat's  glance  from  die 
dove's,  und  I  say  to  you  that  one  whose  eyes  cannot  en 
counter  yours  in  an  independent  glance,  is  to  be  shunned 
und  guarded  against  mit  all  die  combination  clockwork  locks, 
wrinkled  school  marms  und  maiden  sisters  that  modern 
science,  education  und  religion  have  invented  as  safeguards 
to  themselves.  Not  that  die  converse  is  true,  for  many  a 
hang-dog  face  is  hid  behind  a  brazen  mask.  Another  un- 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  KELLER  59 

mistakable  sign  of  a  bad  heart  is  a  mechanical  smile,  die 
opening  und  shutting  of  die  mouth  like  a  spring  rat-trap, 
die  j umping- j ack-like  operation  of  die  facial  muscles.  Die 
hearty  laugh,  die  rippling  smile,  die  sparkling  of  eyes  und 
twinkling  of  dimples,  are  indicatives  of  a  truthful,  ingenu 
ous  spirit;  die  metallic  guffaw,  which  sounds  like  a  piece 
of  noise  sliced  off  in  bulk  mit  a  sharp  knife,  und  die  silent 
contraction  of  die  lips,  showing  die  teeth,  creases  in  die 
cheeks  dat  mark  die  habitual  grin,  die  face  in  repose  like  an 
automatic  toy,  invariably  betoken  an  ossified  heart  und 
cruel  nature.  When  you  encounter  die  velvety,  purring 
man,  mit  die  soft  voice  und  smooth  manner,  that  never  ap 
proaches  you  boisterously,  but  creeps  upon  you  noiselessly, 
und  you  find  him  when  you  least  expect  it  at  your  elbow; 
who  seems  incapable  of  blurting  out  an  honest  opinion, 
or  making  a  noise  of  any  kind,  who  agrees  mit  you  in  all 
propositions,  then  you  think  of  die  cat,  mit  all  his  graces 
und  accomplishments,  und  if  you  want  to  see  his  claws, 
just  give  his  tail  a  twist,  or  as  he  is  a  man,  just  tramp 
on  his  corns.  These  are  rude,  commonplace  features  I  call 
your  attention  to,  which  you  have  seen  und  doubtless  read 
about  many  time,  but  they  are  signs  it  is  well  to  keep  con 
stantly  in  your  mind.  Another  class  that  you  will  soon 
become  familiar  mit,  und  no  advice  upon  my  part  will 
have  effect  to  make  you  avoid  them,  they  have  peaked 
faces,  sharp  noses,  thin  lips,  a  general  bleached-out  look, 
und  their  beard  beneath  their  chin  does  not  grow  gray  by 
individual  hairs,  but  fades  like  a  piece  of  red  flannel,  und 
die  Lord  usually  has  crooked  their  spine  or  rheumatized 
their  limbs  or  broken  their  legs,  or  put  asthmatic  holes  in 
die  bellows  of  their  lungs,  und  has  given  them  all  a  gentle 
und  persuasive  voice  that  enables  them  mit  honeyed  sweet 
ness  to  exact  die  pound  of  flesh.  These  are  die  miserly 
money-loaners  that  follow  through  die  world  die  usurious 
rate  of  interest.  You  will  some  day  be  in  their  clutches, 
I  know,  for  when  die  poet  of  a  mine,  or  a  cattle  drover 
enthusiast,  or  petroleum  visionist  point  to  you  die  golden 
beauties  of  a  stupendous  speculation,  you  will  mortgage 
everything,  but  your  honor,  at  die  highest  rates  of  interest 
to  be  let  into  die  romance  on  '  bed  rock/  und  die  mort 
gagees  will  succeed  in  interest  to  all  of  material  you  have 


60     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

in  existence,  mit  a  perpetual  judgment  on  your  future. 
You  will  also,  in  your  professional  und  political  career, 
come  in  unsavory  contact  und  ill-odorous  conflict  mit,  in 
all  its  rankness,  America's  most  prolific  progeny  und  direst 
pest,  die  charlatan;  enemy  of  die  divine  art  of  healing,  die 
merciless  hospital  stewart  of  death,  poisoning  mit  drugs 
where  old  women  would  heal  mit  herbs;  in  gown  und  wig, 
a  pettifogger  und  a  shyster,  sucking  die  blood  of  die  in 
nocents,  creating  discord  und  entailing  ruin  between  peace 
ful  members  of  society,  forever  dividing  families  tind 
breaking  up  homes,  crowning  a  petty  quarrel  mit  a  decree 
of  divorce;  masking  as  a  politician,  a  blatant  demagogue, 
die  leader  of  hungry,  howling  mobs,  a  turncoat,  a  Hessian 
und  a  traitor,  a  thing  of  brass  und  lungs;  under  all  dis 
guises  he  plies  his  bastard  trade,  in  front  of  die  altar,  on 
die  tripod  writing  eulogies  und  slinging  filth,  die  extorter 
of  bribes  und  hired  extoller  of  die  virtue  of  thieves;  in  die 
marts  of  trade,  die  abuser  of  confidence  und  die  peddler 
of  counterfeits;  as  public  servants,  die  fawning  slave  of 
die  '  powers  that  be/  und  insolent  bullies  of  die  siibr 
servient  public.  I  am  sure  that  you  will  never  be  found 
their  ally,  no  more  that  you  could  possibly  serve  in  their 
ranks.  Next  to  die  army  of  quacks  is  a  remarkable  element, 
more  dangerous  in  their  influence  upon  a  man  of  thought 
und  intellect,  than  die  inroads  upon  body,  soul  und  estate 
of  die  former.  They  call  themselves  statesmen,  lovers 
of  their  country,  reformers,  anti-partisans,  independents, 
socialists.  They  exist  in  society,  no  doubt  for  good,  as  do 
infidels  und  free-lovers,  die  unenviable  means  of  resultant 
benefits.  They  may,  upon  occasion,  save  their  country,  as 
saved  Rome  die  flock  of  geese,  but  often  are  they  die  drench 
ing  rain  that  cools  die  ardor  of  die  patriot  host,  as  when 
they  cried  for  peace  at  die  critical  moment  die  unsheathed 
sword  was  die  only  hope  of  our  country's  salvation.  They 
may  represent  die  disinfecting  power  of  plagues  und  tidal 
waves,  but  God  help  one  from  being  an  atomic  insect  in  die 
multitude  that  form  die  scourge.  They  evolve  frothy 
sophistry  from  solid  reason;  instead  of  churning  die  cream 
into  butter,  they  whip  it  into  foam,  they  never  coin  die 
gold  they  possess,  but  roll  it  out  in  leaf.  They  apply 
pathology  mitout  diagnosis,  und  treat  social,  moral  und 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  KELLER  61 

political  complaints  in  die  same  manner  that  women  write 
novels  about  men,  mitout  a  clear  conception  of  their  anat 
omy  und  physiology.  From  this  hybrid  host  genius  never 
soars,  hero  never  springs  nor  zealot  breaks  forth.  No 
calendar  of  inspired  reformers  emblazon  its  banners,  und 
no  book  of  martyrs  is  cherished  in  its  archives.  Have 
nothing  to  do  mit  these  astrologers,  und  let  loyalty  to  God, 
to  country  und  to  party  be  your  watch-word.  Spend  your 
time  in  burnishing  up  die  Gods  of  your  fathers  und  keep 
ing  die  old  hearth-stone  clean,  instead  of  looking  round 
for  brighter  idols  und  newer  households.  Never  loose  your 
hold  of  sacred  things,  much  less  lay  irreverent  hands  upon 
them.  Remember  what  die  immortal  Schiller  put  in  die 
mouth  of  Wallenstein :  '  Woe  then  to  them  who  lay  ir 
reverent  hands  upon  his  (man's)  old  house  furniture,  the 
dear  inheritance  from  his  forefathers;  for  time  consecrates, 
und  what  is  gray  mit  age  becomes  religion/  Vandalism 
holds  brief  sway,  it  comes  und  destroys  und  exhausts  itself 
like  war  und  pestilence.  He  who  remains  loyal  dies  die 
hero  of  posterity,  or  lives  to  see  die  sacred  Phoenix  rise  from 
die  ashes.  Be  guided  ever  by  a  principle  und  good  purpose. 
It  is  simpler  und  does  not  necessitate  constant  attention, 
like  die  jugglery  of  expediency,  und  reaps,  if  deferred,  still 
a  golden  harvest,  mit  which  is  garnered  content  und  peace. 
It  may  bring  you  many  mortifying  reverses  und  defeats, 
in  youthful  aspirations,  but  mit  them  wisdom  und  die  dig 
nity  to  support  die  honorable  trust  that  in  die  end  will  be 
given  you  as  fruition  of  a  noble  career.  In  die  grave 
affairs  of  life,  be  ever  serious,  you  never  see  a  joker  in  Par 
liament  become  a  leader  or  a  statesman.  When  he  opens 
his  mouth  die  people  are  tickled,  not  moved. 

"  There  are  many  more  things  I  could  say  by  way  of 
counsel,  but  die  members  of  die  Keller  are  nervous  und 
thirsty  souls,  und  I  think  I  already  read  impatience  on 
their  faces.  Besides,  my  words  can  be  but  preparatory 
lessons  to  die  introduction  of  that  stern,  old-fashioned 
school-master,  who  never  spares  die  rod,  experience.  I 
hope  he  may  teach  you  much  und  castigate  you  lightly. 
Und  now  my  distinguished  colleagues,  arise  und  drink  a 
bumper  to  our  departing  friend,  und  mit  it  breathe  die 
silent  benediction  of  die  Keller,  which,  if  pronounced  by 


62  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

lips  that  know  no  ordination,  und  bear  not  heaven's  frank, 
has  still  what  efficacy  lies  in  prayer  from  loving  hearts,  die 
only  charm  on  earth  that  can  invoke  a  heavenly  blessing." 

As  we  turned  into  the  park,  Herman  and  I  looked  back 
at  the  plain  old  building  which  held  the  consecrated  Keller, 
homely  temple  for  such  a  sanctuary.  At  the  door  stood 
the  Captain,  with  his  arms  folded  across  his  breast,  fol 
lowing  us  sorrowfully  with  his  eyes.  "  Gltick  Auf!  "  he 
cried,  "  Gluck  Auf!  "  And  the  simple,  plaintive  words  of 
the  Saxon  miner,  of  welcome  and  farewell,  "  Happy  Out 
come,"  found  a  fervent  response  in  my  sad  heart,  and 
awakened  in  my  companion's  mind  a  wondering,  doubting 
thought  of  what  was  to  be  the  issue.  As  if  designedly  to 
impress  on  Herman's  mind  a  charm  with  which  he  would 
at  times  call  into  his  memory  the  chapter  in  his  life  just 
drawing  to  a  close,  the  old  philosopher  broke  into  melody 
and  sang,  with  marvelous  feeling,  the  Wanderer  of  Fechte. 
Often  since  has  the  talismanic  strain  stolen  into  my  solitary 
thoughts  awakened  familiar  spirits  of  the  Keller,  and 
more  often  still  have  the  words  fallen  upon  Herman's 
heart,  in  his  unrest  and  loneliness,  "  Weit  in  die  Feme 
wandle  ich  allein." 

He  never  entered  The  Keller  again,  and  in  his  Cali 
fornia  life,  though  there  were  many  convivial  evenings, 
many  gay  reunions,  nothing  took  its  classic,  romantic,  mel 
low,  merry,  instructive,  melodious,  soul-impregnating,  heart 
warming  place.  It  had  the  genial  aroma  of  those  dear 
old  London  inns,  and  could  not  exist  in  the  chilling  oxygen 
of  a  new  country. 

The  moon  shone  this  night,  and  it  was  a  favorite  pastime 
for  him,  in  his  musing  moments,  to  call  to  his  mind  the 
different  waters,  seas,  lakes,  rivers  and  streamlets,  on 
which  he  had  seen  its  beams  flash,  and  where  its  silver 
tether,  floating  on  the  waves,  led  along  the  throbbing  ship 
that  held  his  warmly,  wildly  beating  heart,  beating  with 
such  great  love,  that  love,  the  true  touch-stone  in  life  where 
with  to  test  human  nature  and  find  out  what  is  gold  and 
what  is  dross;  that  tender,  gentle,  unselfish,  sensitive  feel 
ing  of  endearment  to  God's  creatures  and  creations,  which 
enables  man  possessed  of  it  to  see  good  in  them  all;  the 
love  that  our  Savior  tries  to  teach  mankind  in  his  divine 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  KELLER  63 

sermon  on  the  Mount;  the  love  which  the  noble  St.  Paul 
makes  the  greatest  of  the  three  Christian  virtues,  faith, 
hope  and  charity,  charity  being  love;  the  love  which  en 
ables  one  to  penetrate  where  a  usurer's  eyes,  which  are 
sharp  enough,  can  never  see,  through  all  the  earthworks 
of  sinfulness,  the  icebergs  of  selfishness  or  stoicism,  the 
black  clouds  of  ignorance  and  infidelity,  into  the  deepest 
recess  of  a  mortal's  heart,  and  discover,  hidden  from  all  un 
inspired  eyes,  a  gem,  however  obscured  its  ray  or  dimmed 
its  lustre,  of  good. 

The  moon,  as  we  walked  along,  shone  down  through  the 
rich  hues  of  the  Autumn  foliage,  and  its  rays  seemed  to 
catch  from  it  a  gentle  glow,  like  the  flush  that  warms  the 
sculptured  marble,  and  loitering  in  its  light,  I  talked  to 
him  about  this  sweet  spirit  of  love,  and  begged  him  to  foster 
it  through  his  life,  through  adversity,  persecution,  neglect, 
desertion,  should  they  be  his  bitter  experience,  for  it  is  a 
thread  of  the  heavenly  flame  vouchsafed  to  his  heart  by 
Him  whose  name  and  being  is  love,  to  cheer  and  warm  it 
when  youth's  fires  burn  low,  and  to  light  the  spirit  through 
the  dusky  passage  of  death.  And  so  I  said  good  night, 
farewell,  godspeed. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HERMAN  DESCRIBES  HIS  NEW  HOME  TO  OLD  DREAMS 

LETTER    from    Herman    Thomas    to    the    Writer    of    these 
Chronicles. 

ST.  AGNES,  January  1,  186 — . 

MY  DEAR  OLD  DREAMS:  I  pledged  myself  and  prom 
ised  you  to  supplement  the  brief  feuilletons  I  have  sent 
you,  with  a  long  letter.  I  think  that  I  can  commence  the 
New  Year  in  no  more  Christian  way  than  in  gratifying  the, 
I  know,  honest  wish  of  my  dear  old  friend,  especially  as 
by  so  doing  I  perform  an  act  of  self-sacrifice.  You  know 
how  I  rebel  against  letter  writing,  but  you  cannot  realize 
what  a  heroic  effort  it  is  for  me  to  correspond  with  family 
and  friends.  I  never  know  what  to  say.  I  bite  the  end  of 
my  quill  and  then  my  lips,  and  finally  commence  with  a 
common-place  and  quickly  end  with  a  conventional  plati 
tude.  When  you  really  love  one,  how  can  you  transmit  to 
paper  the  tender  thoughts,  the  sweet  fancies,  the  yearn 
ing  for  the  communion  of  words  and  looks,  the  fervent 
invocations  and  the  blessings  breathed.  If  you  could, 
would  they  not  startle  and  shock  you  like  materialized 
spirits  ? 

I  have  been  thinking  to-day  of  the  last  evening  at  the 
Keller,  and  our  farewell  walk  and  talk,  beneath  the  gor 
geous  Autumn  foliage.  I  have  cherished  and  ever  will 
cherish  that  unselfish  love  for  all  God's  creatures,  and  I 
often  felt  that  what  grateful  appreciation  is  invoked  from 
them  will  be  the  only  peace-bringing  spirit  which  will  dwell 
in  and  cheer  this  heart,  so  chronicly  desolate.  I  thought 
of  this  rich-hued  foliage,  as  at  evening  the  ship  glided 
into  the  beautiful  harbor  of  Aspinwall,  it  seemed  painted 
upon  the  sky,  and  again  it  greeted  me  at  sunrise  in  the 
landlocked  beauty-belted  bay  of  Acapulco,  where  it  bade 
me  a  lone  farewell.  No  traces  did  I  find  of  it  within  the 

64 


HERMAN  DESCRIBES  HIS  HOME  65 

portal  of  the  Golden  Gate;  an  Italian  sky,  frescoed  with 
delicate  tints,  as  if  in  water  colors,  canopied  the  far  famed 
harbor.  In  traversing  the  country  by  stage,  three  days 
and  nights  from  San  Francisco  to  St.  Agnes,  on  the  storied 
Camino  Real,  neither  sky  nor  earth  presented  any  au 
tumnal  magnificence.  The  one  was  even-tinted  and  cloud 
less,  the  other  displayed  the  unchanging  somber  green  of 
the  live-oaks,  which  stood  like  great  apple-trees  in  a 
brown  and  parched  fenceless  orchard.  It  seemed  a  pity  for 
one  who  is  controlled  for  pleasure  or  pain,  buoyancy  or 
despondency,  by  the  spirit  of  beauty  and  fragance,  to  gain 
his  first  impressions  of  his  adopted  country  in  its  worst 
aspect  in  the  dreariest  time  of  the  year.  Despite,  how 
ever,  my  disappointment  in  regard  to  the  beauty  and  pic- 
turesqueness  of  the  country,  my  journey  overland  was  en 
tertaining,  on  account  of  novelty,  and  it  was  not  without 
incident. 

On  the  first  day's  trip,  I  came  in  contact  with,  in  all  its 
rankness,  the  typical  Western  drummer.  Not  the  gentle 
manly,  jolly,  liberal,  warm-hearted  commercial  traveler, 
but  the  low,  vulgar,  obscene,  piggish,  insolent  drummer,  the 
curse  of  stage  and  steamer  travel.  I  had,  during  the  day, 
occupied  a  seat  with  the  driver,  and  it  was  my  privilege 
to  retain  it  during  the  entire  journey.  After  dinner,  upon 
returning  to  the  stage,  I  found  it  occupied  by  one  of  these 
unclean  beasts.  I  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that 
it  was  my  seat,  and  received  in  reply  a  piece  of  vulgarity 
which  he  meant  for  wit.  I  was  quite  content,  however,  to 
go  inside,  as  night  was  approaching,  and  it  bid  fair  to  be 
very  cold.  The  drummer  had  a  flask  with  him  and  plied  the 
driver,  a  young  man,  not  over  twenty  years  of  age,  with  the 
contents.  At  midnight  we  stopped  on  the  top  of  a  moun 
tain,  down  which  the  road  wound  along  a  dangerous  trail. 
The  drummer  then  said  he  would  go  inside  the  stage,  as  he 
was  cold.  The  driver,  who  himself  knew  that  he  had  in 
dulged  too  freely,  begged  him  to  remain  on  the  box  with 
him;  but  he  refused.  The  stage  started.  For  a  half  hour 
we  trotted  along  at  the  usual  gait,  then  the  speed  in 
creased,  and  finally  the  horses  were  in  a  full  run.  I  sup 
posed  that  it  was  simply  the  Californian  custom  of  speeding 
on  a  good  road,  and  felt  exhilarated  by  the  rapid  motion. 


66  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Suddenly  a  number  of  persons  rushed  from  the  roadside, 
swinging  lanterns  and  shouting  to  the  horses  to  stop,  and 
finally  succeeded  in  bringing  them  to  a  standstill.  Of 
course,  I  said  to  myself,  this  is  the  usual  stage-robbery, 
but  on  looking  out,  I  recognized  the  station  we  had  last 
left.  The  driver  had  fallen  asleep  on  the  box,  dropped  the 
reins,  and  the  horses  had  turned  and  run  back,  and  had  they 
not  been  stopped  the  instant  they  were,  my  career  in  Cali 
fornia  and  in  this  troublesome  world  would  have  been  sum 
marily  cut  short. 

The  day  following  we  stopped  at  a  pretty  little  station 
with  tastefully  painted  house  and  trim,  well  kept  garden, 
and  flowers  trailed  over  the  house,  and  flower  beds  skirted 
the  walk.  A  plump,  rosy-cheeked  maiden,  neatly  dressed, 
stood  in  the  doorway  smiling.  Her  face  had  a  look  of  re 
finement,  and  my  imagination  immediately  drew  a  little 
romance  of  a  family  who  had  met  with  reverses  in  their 
old  home  and  had  come  to  California  to  rebuild  their 
fortunes.  As  the  driver  reined  in  his  horses,  he  turned  to 
the  damsel,  nodded  and  smiled  and  called  out,  "  Well, 
Sally,  did  you  ketch  that  piany  you  were  going  to  make 
the  old  man  buy  for  you  ?  " 

The  pretty  damsel  laughed,  showing  two  rows  of  the 
whitest  and  purest  pearls  and  answered: 

"  You  bet  your  ribs,  Jim,  I  ketched  it." 

We  had  been  traveling  two  days  through  the  interior, 
and  early  in  the  morning  of  the  third  day  we  pierced  the 
Coast  Range  of  mountains,  going  through  a  wild,  grand, 
romantic  pass,  unlike  anything  I  had  ever  seen  in  my 
travels;  but  such  as  Walter  Scott  described  in  his  pictures 
of  Highland  scenery.  Steep  precipices,  overhanging  crags, 
great  almost  perpendicular  walls  of  rock  in  whose  sides 
are  embedded  great  bowlders,  which,  it  seemed,  a  touch  might 
dislodge  and  hurl  to  the  roadway  below;  seams  and  fis 
sures  and  huge  stone  piles,  the  sides  of  the  pass  covered  with 
scrub-oak  and  chaparral,  sturdy  live-oak  trees  standing 
on  top,  like  sentinels,  and  flowing  through  a  great  bed  of 
rocks  and  bowlders  was  an  innocent  enough  looking  stream, 
which  when  the  rains  come  turns  to  a  raging,  destroying  tor 
rent. 

I  sat  on  the  box  with  the  driver,  who,  different  from 


HERMAN  DESCRIBES  HIS  HOME  67 

the  most  of  his  silent  brethren,  was  very  communicative. 
He  pointed  out  to  me  as  we  entered  the  pass,  the  house 
of  the  notorious  Peters,  the  supposed  murderer  of  a  poor 
young  man  and  his  wife,  also  the  scene  of  the  murder. 
Suddenly  we  came  in  sight  of  the  ocean,  calm  as  a  placid 
lake.  A  chain  of  islands  of  deeper  blue,  obstructed  the 
horizon,  rising  from  her  bosom  and  reaching  heaven's  dome 
with  their  peaks.  A  waving  band  of  white  foam  on  the 
beach  marked  the  peaceful  beating  of  the  surf.  We  drove 
along  the  beach,  beneath  barren  bluffs,  around  jagged  rocky 
points,  along  the  smooth  velvety  sand,  the  wheels  noiseless 
and  the  footsteps  of  the  horses  muffled,  the  white  foam 
seething  beneath  the  coach  and  under  the  beasts,  the  fresh, 
cool,  salt  breeze  fanning  our  cheeks.  I  forgot  the  fatigue 
of  the  journey,  a  new  vitality  seemed  to  animate  me;  I  took 
my  hat  off  and  said,  "  Hail  to  thee,  old  Pacific,  we  shall 
know  and  love  each  other  well." 

The  Hon.  Wm.  McElhenny  who  presided  over  the  vessel 
transporting  us  to  our  destination  is  one  of  the  characters 
of  the  country,  as  I  learned  from  himself  and  subsequently 
from  others,  possessing  a  good,  kind  heart,  and  being  full 
of  wit  and  quaint  humor,  he  was  very  popular.  The  boys, 
a  few  years  since,  more  in  the  spirit  of  frolic  than  any 
thing  else,  secured  his  nomination  to  the  legislature.  His 
opponent  was  a  wealthy  man,  who  had  made  his  money 
raising  hogs,  or,  as  they  were  commonly  called  in  the 
Mexican  vernacular,  caches.  He  ridiculed  the  idea  of  Mc 
Elhenny  obtaining  the  position,  and  in  a  speech  said: 
"  Why,  my  friends,  at  this  important  stage  in  the  growth 
and  development  of  our  state,  you  could  not  think  of  choosing 
as  your  representative  in  the  legislature,  a  stage-driver." 
To  which  Mr.  McElhenny  pointedly  replied  that  he  could 
not  see  that  it  was  more  debasing  and  it  required  as  much 
skill  to  drive  a  coach  as  to  drive  a  coche,  which  bon  mot 
secured  him  his  election.  But,  it  was  a  sad  day,  so  he 
himself  feelingly  said,  that  honors  were  thrust  upon  him. 
His  wit  and  humor  made  him  the  pet  of  the  legislators,  and 
his  presence  was  demanded  at  every  convivial  gathering; 
he  thus  contracted  dissipated  habits  which  he  never  after 
wards  could  break,  try  what  he  would,  and  he  knew  they 
were  hastening  him  to  a  premature  and  ignominious  grave. 


68     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Going  through  the  pass,  as  we  bounced  over  bowlders 
and  chuck-holes  and  ruts,  he  said,  "  The  darkest  nights 
have  I  passed  through  here,  with  sometimes  my  friend 
Bully  Ames  by  my  side,  I  have  said,  '  Look  out,  Bully,  for 
that  old  limb ;  hold  on,  here's  that  big  rock ;  mind  the  chuck- 
hole  this  side  the  bend/  and  all  was  plain  sailing;  but  I 
never  in  all  my  staging  got  into  such  a  lot  of  d — d  chuck- 
holes,  as  I  did  when  I  went  over  to  the  Islands  in  my 
friend  Capt.  Chase's  schooner.  I  thought  we'd  go  under, 
sure,  but  the  captain  stood  manfully  by  the  break,  and  we 
landed  all  right;  but  I  swore  I'd  never  stage  it  again 
off  land." 

At  the  next  station,  the  Hon.  William  having  turned  his 
team  over  to  the  hostler,  was  deluging  his  head  with  water 
preparatory  to  breakfasting,  when  a  rough-looking  char 
acter,  evidently  a  Missourian,  a  good  deal  the  worse  for 
whisky,  swaggered  up  and  brandishing  an  ugly-looking 
revolver,  gave  a  yell,  and  shouted,  "I'm  a  confedrit,  I  am, 
and  I  can  lick  any  ten  Yanks  in  the  country."  Mr.  Mc- 
Elhenny  turned  around,  and  as  he  did  a  fly  lit  upon  his 
well  developed  nose,  "  I  kin  shoot  that  fly  right  off  your 
smeller,  I  kin,"  said  the  Missourian,  leveling  his  pistol  at 
William's  nose.  "  For  God's  sake,  don't  shoot,"  he  said, 
"  there's  a  woman  in  the  house  in  a  very  delicate  condition, 
and  you'll  scare  the  life  out  of  her."  The  man  lowered  his 
pistol,  took  a  square  look  at  him,  grunted  and  went  off. 

I  have  been  long  enough  in  my  new  home  to  be  able  to 
draw  you  a  truthful  picture  of  it.  In  a  valley  on  the  coast, 
running  from  the  St.  Agnes  range  of  mountains  down  to  the 
ocean,  nestles  the  little  town  of  St.  Agnes.  Still  little,  but 
day  by  day  making  strides  toward  greatness.  In  every 
direction  are  springing  up  among  and  around  the  old  adobe 
buildings  of  the  native  Californians,  with  their  massive 
walls  and  red-tiled  roofs,  less  picturesque,  but  more  com 
modious  houses  of  enterprising  American  newcomers,  the 
unmistakable  signs  of  speedy  growth. 

In  all  my  travels,  and  as  you  know,  I  have  wandered  about 
the  world  a  great  deal,  I  have  never  seen  a  prettier  pic 
ture,  a  lovelier  scene  than  that  which  draws  one  at  sunset  to 
the  top  of  the  neighboring  hill,  termed  The  Mesa,  overlook 
ing  the  valley  and  town.  The  bold  and  rugged  mountains, 


HERMAN  DESCRIBES  HIS  HOME  6S 

bathed  in  the  evening  glow;  the  rolling  hills  and  level 
plains,  carpeted  with  delicate  green  and  dotted  with 
building;  the  church  spires  and  the  Catholic  cross  pointing 
heavenward;  the  curved  beach,  the  smooth  sand  fringed 
with  the  white  surf ;  the  almost  motionless  ocean,  resplendent 
in  a  thousand  tints,  from  whose  bosom  rise  the  blue  islands ; 
the  old  Mission,  built  by  the  Spanish  friars  almost  a  century 
ago,  which  though  bearing  sad  marks  of  decay,  still  keeps 
watch  over  a  community  fast  growing  oblivious  of  the  holy 
fathers  and  their  spiritual  task,  upon  whose  foot-worn 
corridors,  and  past  its  time-stained  fountain,  the  melancholy 
friars,  in  their  grey  gowns  still  walk,  thinking  perhaps  of 
their  bright  missionary  days,  their  wealth,  their  prosperity, 
their  power,  their  happiness,  like  their  devoted  convert 
children  and  the  most  of  their  spiritual  flock,  gone.  As  the 
music  of  the  Mission  chimes,  mingling  with  the  curious 
harmony  of  the  distant  street  din,  steals  up  on  the  breeze, 
one's  fancy  is  awakened  by  the  strange  and  suggestive 
contrast,  the  old  with  the  new,  the  conservative  with  the 
radical. 

Now  is  the  time  to  come  to  this  beautiful  valley  on  the 
Pacific,  after  the  early  rains,  now,  with  the  greenness,  the 
freshness,  the  bloom,  the  melody  of  our  spring.  How  I 
wish  you  could  come,  dear  Dreams,  your  gentle,  happy 
smile  would  be  a  sort  of  benediction  upon  nature's  loveli 
ness.  The  climate  of  St.  Agnes,  in  softness,  balminess  and 
healthfulness,  is  superior  to  that  of  Italy.  The  mountains 
shield  it  from  the  northern  blasts,  making  winter  but  a 
name  for  a  few  months  of  the  year;  while  the  breeze  from 
the  ocean  fans  away  the  heat  of  summer.  No  seeds  of 
consumption  sewn  by  bleak  winter  winds;  no  malaria  gen 
erated  by  summer  sultriness,  and  snow  comes  but  to  crest 
for  a  day  or  two  the  highest  mountain  peaks.  The  winter 
is  probably  the  pleasantest  portion  of'  the  year,  especially 
to  those  who  love  to  hear  the  occasional  pattering  and 
splashing  of  the  rain  and  scent  its  fragance  and  see  nature 
awake  at  its  quickening  touch.  Our  bachelor  quarters  have 
been  cozy  and  comfortable  this  winter,  and  we  have  not 
once  had  a  fire;  indeed,  our  house  is  without  a  chimney. 
This  is  a  spot  for  lovers.  I  write  this  with  a  sigh,  as  you 
know  all  trysting  with  me  is  in  the  past.  Never  have  I 


70     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

seen  such  perfect  nights,  such  brightness,  such  softness, 
such  balminess;  the  moon  seems  brighter,  starry  constel 
lations  more  brilliant  than  in  other  lands.  They  are  nights 
for  the  serenade,  the  guitar  and  love  song,  for  romance  and 
sentiment,  for  the  prominade  beneath  the  graceful  pepper 
trees,  or  on  the  smooth  strand,  where  the  moon  flashes  silver 
on  the  breakers'  crest.  The  beach  is  smooth  and  gradual 
in  its  slope,  making  delightful  sea-bathing  and  affording 
a  ten-mile  drive  at  low  tide.  The  drives  and  walks  about 
the  town  are  many  and  picturesque.  A  few  miles  north 
east  of  us  are  the  Hot  Sulphur  Springs  sought  by  invalids, 
in  a  wild  and  picturesque  canon,  densely  wooded  with  live 
oak  and  sycamore,  and  threaded  by  streams  that  skirt 
the  road  and  cross  one's  path,  and  hide  beneath  embank 
ments  covered  with  fern,  from  which  steals  up  their  chant, 
mingling  with  the  symphony  of  the  wild  woods. 

The  St.  Agnes  channel,  protected  by  the  chain  of  islands 
opposite,  is,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  days  in  the  year, 
when  south-east  winds  prevail,  perpetually  smooth,  and 
the  semi-weekly  steamers  land  their  passengers  safely  and 
without  discomfort.  Do  not  imagine  that  we  are  away 
from  the  world,  out  in  the  wilderness.  We  are  a  civilized 
community  in  a  civilized  country.  It  is  true  there  is  a 
wilderness  about  us,  still  a  harmless,  attractive  wilderness. 
The  deer  still  frisk  in  our  mountains,  and  the  grizzly-bear, 
the  wild  cat  and  the  fox  make  them  their  home,  and  the 
silence  of  our  canons  and  our  plains  is  yet  broken  by  the 
bark  of  the  coyotes,  and  the  quail  and  the  hare  and  the 
wild  duck  make  glad  the  sportsman's  heart.  With  all  this, 
we  are  in  the  midst  of  the  world;  there  is  not  an  Eastern 
scandal  that  escapes  us  here;  it  arrives  late  it  is  true,  when 
probably  it  has  faded  in  a  more  recent  one  in  the  place  of 
its  birth,  but  nevertheless  it  reaches  us  fresh  and  full  of 
flavor  to  those  who  relish  it. 

There  are  some  few  American  and  English  families  in  St. 
Agnes  of  great  refinement  and  highly  accomplished.  Music 
principally  draws  them  together,  and  you  would  be  aston 
ished  could  you  be  present  at  one  of  our  reunions,  and  feel 
the  taste,  talent  and  high  cultivation  displayed.  Untram- 
meled  by  the  needless  conventionalities  of  fashionable  so 
ciety,  there  is  a  freer,  happier,  franker,  more  natural  in- 


HERMAN  DESCRIBES  HIS  HOME  71 

tercourse  between  well-bred  people  here  than  in  older  and 
more  straiglit-laced  communities.  One  peculiarity  I  noticed 
which  was  soon  accounted  for.  My  first  evening  at  a  social 
gathering,  I  was  impressed  with  what  seemed  to  me  a 
foolish,  nervous  little  affectation  on  the  part  of  the  ladies, 
and  a  restlessness  and  fidgetiveness  about  the  men.  A  lady 
would  be  talking  very  quietly,  when  she  would  suddenly 
twitch  her  shoulders,  throw  her  head  nervously  from  side 
to  side,  laugh  hysterically,  and  presently  ask  you  to  excuse 
her  a  moment,  that  she  wished  to  run  upstairs  and  get  a 
piece  of  beautiful  sea-moss  to  show  you.  A  gentleman 
would  be  conversing  in  a  very  dignified  manner,  when  he 
would  begin  nervously  crossing  and  recrossing  his  legs, 
and  violently  shrugging  his  shoulders,  and  would  finally 
get  up,  and  walk  up  and  down,  talking  in  spasmodic  jerks. 
While  puzzling  my  brains  about  this,  I  felt  a  little  irrita 
tion  directly  in  the  small  of  my  back,  which  grew  instantly 
into  an  intense  burning  itching  almost  unbearable,  and  the 
solution  of  the  enigma  flashed  upon  my  mind,  it  was  fleas. 
They  are  certainly  an  insidious  and  remorseless  mutilator  of 
the  finer  skins,  and  it  seems  impossible  to  exterminate  them, 
though  cleanliness  and  insect  powder,  in  a  measure  repulse 
their  attacks.  They  seem  to  have  a  patriot's  love  for  the 
old  adobe  houses,  and  whenever  the  rooms  are  cleaned  and 
a  dust  pan  full  of  supposed  dirt  is  taken  from  the  corner 
where  it  has  been  swept,  invariably  about  a  third  of  the 
contents  of  the  pan  leap  to  the  floor.  In  the  old  Missions, 
the  natives  say,  it  was  customary  every  Saturday  evening, 
in  order  to  secure  uninterrupted  devotion  on  Sunday,  to 
drive  a  band  of  sheep  through  the  church,  for  whom  the 
fleas  have  a  peculiar  fondness. 

I  have  gathered  from  old  settlers,  among  them,  one 
Sefior  Don  Ramon  Malo,  much  of  the  unchronicled  tradi 
tional  history  of  St.  Agnes. 

From  these  traditions  we  learn  that  everything  in  govern 
ment,  society  and  commerce  worked  smoothly  and  mechan 
ically  under  the  old  regime,  before  the  fair  land  of  Southern 
California  was  invested  by  Fremont  and  his  foreign 
Yankee  hordes.  Don  Pedro,  the  venerated  and  feared 
dictator  of  St.  Agnes,  ran  the  machinery  on  the  same  plan 
he  did  his  patriarchal  household,  his  wife,  his  numerous 


72  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

progeny  and  his  Indian  peons,  with  despotic  sway.  He, 
however,  seemed  powerless  to  prevent  certain  little  in 
discretions  of  the  merry-men  of  his  vassals,  though  a  true 
and  stern  old  feudal  lord,  and  no  inquisition  could  solve  the 
mystery  of  the  sudden  disappearance  in  a  lonely  canon, 
when  the  traveled  road  ran  in  the  mountains  north-west  of 
St.  Agnes,  of  occasional  travelers,  rich  Basques  and  well 
provided  cattle  dealers,  and  the  confiscation  of  their  effects. 
He  sought  to  offset  such  unavoidable  misadventures  by  uni 
form  courtesy  and  kindly  hospitality  to  the  stranger  within 
his  gates.  It  was  always  a  subject  of  annoyance  and 
mortification  to  him  that  there  was  one  within  his  jurisdic 
tion  who  did  not  sufficiently  bow  to  his  supremacy  and  show 
the  proper  degree  of  respect  in  his  presence,  and  he  on 
one  occasion  was  tempted  to  suspend  whatever  in  Mexican 
law  is  the  equivalent  of  the  right  of  habeas  corpus  in  his  pe 
culiar  case.  The  following  are  the  facts  constituting  the 
offense : 

Don  Pedro  was  an  ardent  friend  and  warm  supporter  of 
Don  Carlos,  and  he  would  argue  the  question  with  Don 
Juan,  the  party  of  whom  I  speak,  or  anyone  else,  so 
long  as  he  maintained  the  vantage,  but  the  instant  he  saw 
himself  being  worsted,  he  would  summarily  end  all  argu 
ment  with  the  exclamation,  "  Speak  no  further,  Don  Carlos 
must  win,  for  his  cause  is  God's  cause."  Don  Juan  hap 
pened  to  be  at  the  beach  one  day  when  a  Spanish  vessel 
arrived,  bringing  the  news  that  Don  Carlos  had  been  badly 
beaten ;  he  immediately  ran  to  the  feudal  mansion,  awakened 
Don  Pedro  from  his  sacred  siesta,  crying  "  News  from 
Spain,  news  from  Spain!"  "What  is  it?"  said  Don 
Pedro  starting  up  from  his  couch.  "  A  great  battle  has 
just  been  fought.  God  was  whipped."  Saying  which  he 
immediately  bolted  and  prudently  remained  a  week  in  hid 
den  seclusion. 

Another  leaflet  from  Don  Ramon's  folk-lore  may  inter 
est  you : 

When  war  had  been  declared  against  Mexico,  and  the 
arrival  of  the  American  hosts  were  daily  expected  in  South 
ern  California,  St.  Agnes  was  in  a  tremor;  of  course  not  of 
fear,  but  of  excitement.  One  day  the  news  came  that  a 
United  States  vessel  of  war  was  approaching  the  harbor. 


HERMAN  DESCRIBES  HIS  HOME  73 

A  council  of  the  ancients  of  the  City  was  immediately  con 
vened,  and  many  plans  of  offensive  and  defensive  action 
were  proposed  and  discussed;  and  finally  the  following  one, 
designed  by  a  Frenchman,  whose  brother  had  commanded 
a  crack  regiment  under  the  great  Napoleon,  was  adopted. 
He  was  to  take  his  spy-glass  and  the  only  available  artil 
lery  St.  Agnes  afforded, —  a  small  brass  cannon,  which  had 
been  used  alternately  with  anvils,  to  fire  salutes  during 
religious  and  civic  processions  (I  am  unable  to  say  how 
many  of  a  pounder  it  was), —  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  a 
distance  of  twelve  miles  in  a  bee-line  from  the  ocean  beach ; 
in  the  meanwhile  all  the  expert  vaqueros,  the  moment  the 
vessel  was  sighted,  were  to  conceal  themselves  and  their 
horses  along  the  beach.  When  the  ship  had  anchored,  and 
the  proper  moment,  in  the  judgment  of  the  French  com 
mander,  had  arrived,  he  was  to  fire  the  cannon  from  the 
top  of  the  mountain,  at  which  signal  the  vaqueros  were 
to  rush  through  the  surf  and  lasso  the  masts  of  the  ship, 
capsize  it  into  the  breakers,  and  harpoon  the  soldiers  and 
crew  as  they  endeavored  to  escape  to  shore.  This  brilliant 
coup  d'etat  was  not  carried  out  —  only  because  the  ship 
never  came. 

But  I  feel  weary,  as  no  doubt  do  you,  with  such  garrulous 
well  doing  and  I  will  say  good-night.  Before  I  lay  down 
my  pen,  however,  and  I  do  not  know  why  it  should  come 
to  my  mind  just  now,  and  I  am  so  prompted  to  speak  of  it,  I 
desire  to  tell  you  of  a  most  agreeable  acquaintanceship  I 
have  formed  with  an  educated  Southern  gentleman,  Col. 
Morgan,  and  his  two  charming  daughters;  the  ladies  ar 
rived  from  the  East  immediately  before  Christmas,  and 
I  was  their  sole  guest  at  a  happy  Christmas  dinner,  and  it 
needed,  to  make  it  a  perfect  Yule-tide  feast,  only  the  ice  and 
snow  and  piercing  winter  wind  to  contrast  with  the  warm 
hospitality,  the  gleams  of  filial  love,  and  sunny  smiles. 
There  is  but  a  year's  difference  in  their  ages  and  both  are 
beautiful  and  both  accomplished;  they  sing  and  play  with 
sweetness  and  thrilling  expression,  and  they  bewitched  me 
into  joining  my  untrained  voice  with  theirs,  and  their  father 
added  a  soft  tenor,  and  I  assure  you  it  was  not  an  execrable 
quartette  we  improvised.  Yet,  the  elder  seems  many  years 
older  than  her  sister.  At  times  her  eyes  seem  to  have  an 


74  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

unfathomable  depth,  and  a  sad  seriousness  steals  over  her 
face,  and  her  voice  deepens  and  her  figure  grows  com 
manding-looking,  and  her  father  and  sister  become  silent 
and  gaze  at  her,  as  if  expecting  to  hear  some  divine  revela 
tion.  The  younger  is  a  happy,  merry,  innocent,  na'ive,  mis 
chievous,  tender-hearted,  winsome  child,  observing  and  ask 
ing  questions  about  everyone  and  everything,  and  in  a  harm 
less  way  mimicking  everyone  she  meets  in  their  peculiari 
ties;  sensitive  and  easily  wounded,  a  quiver  of  sunbeams, 
dimmed  ever  and  anon  by  showers,  through  which  the  rain 
bow  quickly  shines.  Were  there  not  departed  spirits,  to 
which  I  am  loyal  —  Well,  good  night,  dear  Old  Dreams. 
Your  wayward  protege, 

HERMAN. 


CHAPTER  IX 
FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S   CAMP 

PIERCING  the  mountain  barriers  of  St.  Agnes  are  many  beau 
tiful  canons.  At  their  portals  are  natural  parks,  wooded 
with  gnarled  live-oaks  and  towering  sycamores.  In  spring 
time  the  dark  somber  foliage  of  the  oak  and  the  lighter- 
tinted  leaves  of  the  sycamore  and  the  brilliantly  green  turf, 
present  a  charming  harmony  of  coloring.  In  Autumn  the 
hues,  not  so  softly  blending,  are  more  like  a  musical  dis 
cord;  the  oaks,  unchanging  in  attire  as  the  mountain  peaks, 
retain  their  somber  dress ;  the  sycamores  are  robed  in  green 
and  gold  and  the  turf  puts  on  a  quaker  gown  of  brown. 
Following  up  and  back,  the  ravine  gradually  narrows,  and 
the  shrubbery  grows  dense,  the  forest  trees  shrink  to 
a  nursery  of  scrub-oak  and  saplings;  ferns  in  wild  pro 
fusion  climb  over  rocks  and  bowlders,  the  gray  mountain 
sides,  impassible  walls,  joining  sky  and  earth,  come  nearer 
and  nearer,  until  they  are  almost  bathed  with  the  stream  that 
rushes  and  ripples  and  gurgles  between  them,  now  flashing 
in  the  sunlight,  now  dark  and  gloomy  in  the  bowlder's 
shadows,  now  softly  singing  like  screened  nuns,  beneath  a 
network  of  fern,  now  bursting  forth  in  a  torrent  of  wild 
melody;  onward  and  upward,  until  the  canon  meets  the 
mountain,  and  way  up  on  its  rocky  face,  the  brook  springs 
forth,  like  a  burnished  blade  which  one  would  fancy  to  be 
the  gleaming  sword  that  had  cleft  its  rugged  body. 

A  short  distance  up  one  of  these  picturesque  canons, 
within  sight  of  the  ocean  and  islands,  and  in  hearing  of  the 
softened  sound  of  the  breakers,  in  a  grove  of  venerable  oaks 
and  sycamores,  on  the  banks  of  a  mountain  stream,  nestled 
the  camp  of  Captain  Seymour.  It  was  certainly  a  model 
surveyor's  camp.  There  was  a  large  tent  with  cots,  and 
chairs  and  table  for  the  officers  and  their  guests,  and  a  large 
tent  for  the  men,  a  small  dinner  tent,  the  cook's  little  tent  and 

75 


76  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

a  kitchen  tent;  a  shelter  under  a  brace  of  mammoth  oaks  for 
the  horses  and  a  milch-cow,  a  spring  house,  made  of  bark  and 
willow  branches,  a  hanging  meat  safe,  and  in  a  sheltered 
nook,  beneath  perpetual  shade  and  where  the  breeze  blew 
most  refreshingly,  mounted  upon  a  solid  tripod,  reposed  a 
keg  of  lager  beer.  There  was  also  a  rustic  table  and  camp 
chairs  under  the  trees  in  front  of  the  officers'  tent.  Up  the 
canon,  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  camp,  upon  an  iso 
lated  mesa  was  an  old  house,  then  uninhabited,  save  by 
wood-rats,  squirrels  and  migratory  skunks,  with  crumbling 
adobe  walls  and  shattered  wooden  roof,  dismantled  windows 
and  rickety  doors.  The  winds  made  of  it  a  roistering  place, 
and  at  night  would  come  from  it  queer  noises,  which  would 
startle  the  denizens  of  the  camp,  and  cause  the  wool  of  the 
sable  cook  to  straighten  upon  the  top  of  his  head.  It  had 
the  weird  charm  of  being  haunted,  and  was  a  valued  asset  of 
Captain  Seymour  in  the  entertainment  of  his  guests,  and 
was  a  spicy  pousse-caf 'e  after  a  beer-spiritized  dinner  of 
choice  fellows.  The  legend,  founded  substantially  on  fact, 
was  that  a  former  occupant,  an  eccentric  character,  a  recluse, 
shunning  social  intercourse,  had  left  the  county  for  a  few 
weeks  and  returned  with  a  comely  bride,  with  whom  he 
lived  a  few  years  in  apparent  happiness,  softening  and 
becoming  more  friendly  with  his  fellows,  when  one  day  the 
neighborhood  was  startled  by  seeing  a  hearse,  followed  by  a 
single  bare-headed,  haggard-looking  mourner,  creep  down  the 
canon  and  along  miles  of  dusty  road  to  the  grave-yard,  and 
then  it  became  known  that  the  recluse's  wife  had  become  the 
bride  of  death.  The  coroner  was  not  in  those  days  an  inquisi 
tive  man  and  no  one  ever  learned  what  took  her  life.  From 
that  day  no  word  or  friendly  look  could  be  conjured  from 
the  stone-faced  man,  and  one  year  later,  his  body  with  his 
throat  cut,  and  a  bloody  hunting  knife  beside  it,  was  found 
in  the  doorway  of  the  house  he  now  haunts.  There  were  all 
the  indications  of  foul  play.  Yet  no  one  could  tell  or  ever 
discovered  whether  he  died  by  his  own  or  another's  hand. 

It  was  a  bewitching  night  at  the  Captain's  camp.  The 
moon's  rays  broken  and  parceled  by  the  swaying  tree 
branches,  whose  festoons  of  gray  moss  it  had  transformed 
to  silver  pendants,  lighting  the  grove  with  soft  brilliancy, 
wrought  upon  the  ground  a  carpet  of  moving  figures,  ever 


FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S  CAMP  77 

changing  in  design.  A  gleam  of  silver  in  the  distance 
marked  the  ocean's  border,  while  the  tempered  breeze  bore  to 
the  spot  the  breakers'  mournful  refrain,,  a  measured  accom 
paniment  to  the  music  of  the  stream  and  the  symphony  of  the 
rustling  leaves  and  voices  of  frogs  and  insects,  punctuated 
by  the  far-away  barking  of  coyotes.  Stealing  out  of  and 
rising  above  nature's  orchestra,  a  melody  from  a  human  voice, 
a  plaintive  tenor,  floated  upon  the  air,  followed  by  a  merry 
chorus  from  a  quartette  of  males.  The  Captain  had  some 
jovial  friends,  eccentric  geniuses  and  good  fellows  to  spend  a 
night  with  him  in  the  wildwoods.  A  large,  splendidly  built 
Englishman,  some  forty  years  of  age,  with  muscles  of  steel 
and  disposition  of  a  gentle  child,  sat  upon  a  fallen  limb, 
his  hands  running  lightly  over  the  guitar  strings,  and  his 
was  the  sweet  tenor  voice  that  echoed  through  the  canon's 
recesses.  He  had  lived  for  years  in  Chili,  and  had  learned 
many  love  ditties  and  battle  songs  there,  and  the  art  to 
embellish  them  with  the  music  that  strings  the  human  voice 
with  golden  chords,  which  he  offset  with  familiar  English, 
Scotch  and  Irish  ballads,  dear  to  the  heart.  He  had  found 
in  St.  Agnes  a  wife,  and  father-in-law  with  a  rancho,  of 
which  this  canon  was  part,  and  the  haunted  house  was  once 
a  portion  of  the  old  ranch  house.  Dr.  Barton,  the  name  of 
our  singer,  had  been  educated  as  a  pharmacist,  receiving  his 
diploma  in  Chili,  where  none  can  practise  pharmacy  until 
thoroughly  instructed  in  every  branch  of  the  science,  and 
had  in  St.  Agnes  evolved  into  a  country  doctor,  hence  his 
soubriquet.  With  commendable  enterprise,  he  had  acquired 
the  rancho  not  long  after  his  acquisition  of  the  daughter. 
The  doctor  was  a  dabbler  in  spiritism,  and  told  of  many  curi 
ous  revelations  knocked  out  of  rapping  tables,  and  whispered 
by  mysterious  mediums.  He  subsequently  brought  the  first 
planchette  to  St.  Agnes,  and  he  was  the  easily  duped  subj  ect 
of  a  little  coterie  of  spirit-mongers  who  had  come  about  this 
time  from  abandoned  mining  camps  to  this,  one  would  think, 
uncongenial  community  and  clime.  The  Doctor's  belief, 
however,  was  childlike  and  sincere,  and  nothing  could  con 
vince  him  that  trickery  or  humbug  ever  entered  the  spirit 
circle.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  believed  that  the  invisible 
beings  of  the  Great  Beyond  lurked  in  his  guitar  and  guided 
his  fingers  up  and  down  its  frets  and  across  its  strings  and 


78  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

produced  and  bore  aloft  the  melody  of  his  voice.  All  medi- 
umistic  power,  however,  had  so  far  failed  him  in  his  en 
deavors  to  bring  back  to  earth  the  spirit  of  Julius  Latern, 
the  murdered  recluse,  to  hear  from  his  own  lips  whether  he 
was  the  victim  of  his  own  or  another's  homicidal  hand,  and 
he  had  about  concluded  that  this  restless  spirit  had  stayed 
around  the  ranch  house  and  had  never  gotten  into  the  com 
pany  of  progressive  ghosts  that  were  in  telegraphic  com 
munication  with  this  world. 

On  a  moss-covered  limb,  dreamy  and  silent,  except  when 
he  joined  in  the  harmonies  of  the  chorus,  Herman  reclined. 
The  Captain  in  a  negligee  jacket,  with  no  covering  for  his 
head  than  a  dense  mat  of  black  hair,  puffing  gently  a  Spanish 
cigaritto,  between  songs,  at  intervals  in  the  conversation, 
quoted  in  heroic  tones  fragments  of  sonnets  and  classical 
plays,  mimicking  popular  writers  and  actors. 

In  the  circle,  beyond  the  Captain,  now  concealed,  now  dis 
closed,  like  the  Island  of  Manhattan  when  the  British  fleet 
was  sighted  by  the  Knickerbockers,  in  a  great  column  of 
tobacco  smoke  that  ascended  from  a  huge  meerschaum  pipe, 
reminding  one  of  the  pictures  of  genii  escaping  from  the 
caskets  of  Solomon,  was  the  robust  form  of  John  Stuart,  a 
pure-blooded,  burly,  blonde  Briton,  who  had,  outside  a  cleri 
cal  and  scientific  education,  been  specially  trained  in  the 
manly  art  of  self-defense,  according  to  Marquis  of  Queen- 
bury  rules,  in  the  sporting  element  of  Liverpool.  Although 
he  was  always  willing  to  put  on  the  gloves  with  a  lover  of 
his  art,  or,  to  use  one  of  his  own  expressions,  "  to  polish  the 
mug  "  of  any  enemy  "  so  that  his  most  intimate  acquaintance 
would  fail  to  recognize  him,"  he  was  the  most  timid  of  men 
outside  the  environment  of  the  ring,  and  in  his  imagination 
peopled  the  country,  terra  incognita  to  him,  he  having  always 
dwelt  in  the  "  sweet  security  of  streets,"  with  terror-striking 
beasts  and  savage  monsters.  When  invited  to  the  Captain's 
camp,  he  inquired  of  him  with  a  tremor  in  his  rich  baritone 
voice,  if  there  were  many  lions  and  tigers  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  on  this  particular  occasion,  you  could  see  him 
shiver  in  the  clouds  of  smoke  about  him,  when  a  coyote  would 
give  an  unusually  vicious  yelp.  Although  his  muscles  were 
hardened  against  human  fists,  the  ordinary  knocks  and  dis 
comforts  encountered  away  from  city  thoroughfares  were  to 


FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S  CAMP  79 

him  grievous  hardships.  Captain  Seymour  had  conducted 
him  to  camp  over  a  road  larded  with  chuck-holes  in  his 
thoroughbrace  wagon,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  mustangs  that 
never  slowed  down,  and  kept  in  the  middle  of  the  road, 
regardless  of  pits  and  ruts.  After  a  series  of  grunts  and 
groans  and  sundry  uniquely  profane  exclamations  from  the 
back  seat  where  Mr.  Stuart  rolled  and  bounced  and  thumped 
and  bumped,  he  cried,  "  My  heaven,  Captain,  who  invented 
this  barbarous  instrument  of  torture  ?  "  Mr.  Stuart  could, 
however,  be  the  most  patient  of  men,  and  in  the  duck- 
hunting  season,  sit  the  day  long  behind  a  blind  in  a  swamp 
near  St.  Agnes,  over  which  hung  a  perpetual  cloud  of  smoke, 
like  the  crown  above  a  volcano  peak,  which  was  called  by 
the  hunters,  "  John  Stuart's  smoke-stack." 

This  young  man,  he  was  not  over  twenty-five,  was  always 
looked  up  for  a  merry  reunion  or  frolic,  where  grotesque 
humor,  eccentric  wit  and  old-time  ballads  sung  with  melody 
and  spirit,  were  factors  in  the  entertainment's  success.  He 
was  the  only  and  erring  son  of  a  wealthy  and  pious  Scotch 
Presbyterian  banker  of  Liverpool  and  was  exiled  to  and  pen 
sioned  in  this  remote  spot  in  Southern  California,  separated 
by  an  ocean  and  continent  from  the  temptations  of  the  wild 
city  of  his  birth  and  rearing  and  his  dissipated  associates. 
His  remittance,  a  limited  one,  came  in  monthly  instalments, 
with  Scotch  regularity,  accompaniment  by  a  fat  packet  of 
pious  tracts,  and  as  regularly  John  Stuart  would  present 
himself  at  Wells-Fargo's  office  to  receive  them.  He  would 
pocket  the  remittance,  and  turning  to  the  bystanders,  would 
distribute  the  tracts  among  them,  saying,  "  Read,  ponder, 
reflect  and  digest  inwardly,  while  I  go  and  spend  in  riotous 
living  the  coin  which  accompanied  these  notes  of  warning, 
and  profit  by  my  profane  and  blasphemous  example." 

The  remaining  figure  in  the  group  was  Herr  Lasalle,  a 
tall,  raw-boned  German,  with  long  hair,  pointed  beard,  thin 
parchment  cheeks  and  a  voice  the  echo  of  the  bass  viol,  which 
instrument  he  played  in  the  orchestra;  about  the  quaintest, 
most  grotesque  and  eccentric  genius  Herman  had  met  since 
his  advent  to  St.  Agnes.  He  had  spent  a  number  of  years 
in  the  mines,  he  and  George  Hearst,  for  whom  he  had  an 
affectionate  regard,  they  having  worked  together  in  the  field 
where  Hearst  made  the  strike  the  foundation  of  his  great 


80  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

wealth,  and  he,  Lasalle,  had  scraped  together  sufficient  to 
buy  a  small  tract  of  land  in  the  foothills,  some  miles  from 
St.  Agnes,  not  unlike  in  character  and  location  his  boyhood 
home  near  Cologne,  with  soil  part  deep  enough  for  an 
orchard  and  part  poor  enough  for  a  vineyard,  with  a  stretch 
of  pasture  for  a  few  thoroughbred  horses  and  cows,  and 
leaving  a  moderate  sum  to  speculate  with  and  loan  out  at  the 
usurious  rate  of  interest  then  prevailing,  which  ranged 
from  one  and  one-half  to  two  and  one-half  per  cent,  per 
month.  Born  a  Catholic,  he  had  in  his  frontier  life,  drifted 
away  from  the  church,  in  fact  from  all  religion,  and  dwelt 
in  spirit  with  the  wild,  wayward,  mystic  and  mysterious 
denizens  of  another  world  which  people  the  literature  and 
music  of  his  native  land.  He  reminded  Herman  of  Samuel 
in  The  Freischutz,  and  received  from  him  in  familiar  inter 
course  the  name.  He  humored  and  led  Dr.  Barton  on  in  his 
travels  in  spirit  land  and  it  was  hard  for  his  friends  to  make 
out  whether  he  was  in  earnest  or  was  gratifying  his  love  of 
practical  joking;  whether  he  was  really  dealing  with  it  as 
a  science,  a  belief,  or  inspired  attribute  of  his  being,  or  as  a 
diverting  farce;  since  he  would  drop  from  a  learned  and 
exalted  dissertation  upon  occultism  and  the  communion 
between  the  inhabitants  of  the  visible  world  and  those  of  the 
invisible,  into  laughable  illustrations  of  the  absurd  practical 
workings  of  the  belief  and  its  demonstrations.  He  scorned 
the  ordinary  appliances  of  mediums,  and  claimed  to  be  able 
when  in  proper  condition  to  invoke  the  spirits  of  the 
departed  by  mental  effort  and  to  trace  with  his  finger  and 
interpret  and  repeat  their  utterances. 

Captain  Seymour  had,  preparatory  to  this  evening's 
reunion,  interviewed  Herr  Lasalle,  and  with  him  prepared  a 
seance.  He  instructed  him  in  the  details  of  the  haunted 
house  and  the  mysterious  homicide  and  the  deep  interest  Dr. 
Barton  had  in  unraveling  the  secret  Julius  had  taken  with 
him  to  the  grave.  No  outline  was  needed  of  the  method  of 
procedure,  for  whether  or  not  Herr  Lasalle  possessed  occult 
powers,  his  impressibility  and  ready  response  to  word  or 
glance  and  ability  to  catch  another's  intent  and  thought 
made  him  an  actor  who  needed  no  score  or  prompter. 

"  A  very  sweet  ballad,  Doctor,"  said  Herman,  "  and  feel 
ingly  sung.  I  envy  you  your  minstrelsy.  Had  I  your  gift, 


FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S  CAMP  81 

I  would  feel  little  shyness  with  the  fair  sex,  and  might  pos 
sibly  win  the  heart  of  some  handsome  senorita." 

"  Huh/'  ejaculated  Mr.  Lasalle,  "  I'll  back  my  voice, 
without  the  aid  of  my  bass-viol,  and  my  hypnotic  influence 
against  the  Doctor's  guitar  and  maidenlike  strains,  when  it 
comes  to  making  conquests  among  the  native  women.  They 
would  take  me  in  preference,  as  they  would  a  tamale  rather 
than  a  caromel." 

"  I  can  understand  how  you  would  frighten  them  into 
submission,  Herr  Lasalle,"  growled  Mr.  Stuart  out  of  his 
smoke  bank,  at  the  same  time  caressing  first  one  and  then 
the  other  bicep,  a  constant  habit  with  him.  "  If  I  had  as 
an  accompaniment  to  my  muscles,  your  impressive  face  and 
figure  and  your  stentorian  voice,  there  would  be  no  wasting 
time  with  the  girls,  I  would  buy  a  seat  in  the  stock-board." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Captain,  "  I  find  that  a  fellow  need  not 
be  a  minstrel,  like  the  Doctor,  or  an  astrologer,  like  Herr 
Lasalle,  to  make  headway  with  the  senoritas.  If  he  is  a 
rollicking,  dashing  fellow,  a  fearless  rider,  a  good-liver  and 
generous  entertainer,  with  a  warm  heart  and  a  touch  of  sen 
timent,  he  need  have  no  fears.  I,  myself,  without  our 
friend's  accomplishments,  have  had  no  difficulty  in  winning, 
here  and  there,  the  tender  regards  of  a  comely  Spanish  maid. 
I  am  somewhat  in  ill  odor  with  them  just  now,  for  looking 
at  one  or  two  of  them  through  my  surveying  instrument, 
which  they  have  been  informed,  turns  objects  upside  down. 
I  had  bad  luck  too  in  the  last  drawing  for  compadres  and 
commadres,  and  I  know  it  was  a  mischievous  trick  of  a  minx 
who  thought  I  was  coquetting  with  her.  You  know,  or  will 
know,  Thomas,  that  each  damsel  must  have  a  gallant  for  the 
year,  who  must  escort  her  to  all  functions,  be  her  squire  and 
her  champion,  and  this  male  chaperon,  we  might  call  him,  is 
chosen  by  lot  each  new  year,  and  the  lottery  is  conducted  the 
same  way  women  play  cards,  without  reliance  upon  chance. 
They  have  tied  me  this  year  to  an  angular  female,  a  head 
taller  than  myself, —  which  is  really  lucky,  for  she  is  fond  of 
garlic, —  of  a  ripe-olive  complexion,  about  a  decade  my 
senior  and  who  insists  upon  my  being  a  love-maker  as  well 
as  a  convenience." 

"  These  boys,  Mr.  Thomas,"  remarked  the  Doctor,  beam 
ing  through  his  glasses  upon  Herman,  "  including  old  Bass- 


82  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

viol  there,  have  little  to  think  about  beside  mirth  and  music 
and  love-making,  while  you  have  your  aspirations  to  gratify 
and  we  both  our  fortunes  to  build,  by  hard  and  serious  work. 
Have  you  laid  any  plans  of  conquest  outside  the  routine  of 
your  law  practice  ?  " 

"  No,  not  yet,"  said  Herman,  "  I  have  hardly  well  started 
as  a  lawyer." 

"  Happy  query,  Doctor,"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  "  we 
must  launch  our  friend  on  the  way  to  political  and  profes 
sional  distinction;  we'll  make  him  our  next  District  Attor 
ney." 

"  If  you  really  wish  to  elect  him  to  this  or  any  office," 
said  Herr  Lasalle,  "  you  had  better  keep  it  a  secret  within 
the  walls  of  this  canon  till  the  day  before  the  Convention. 
We  old  miners  are  all  more  or  less  politicians,  and  I  have 
graduated  in  Nevada,  the  pocket  borough  of  San  Francisco, 
and  believe  I  know  men  and  their  motives  and  their 
methods,  and  I  have  been  here  long  enough  to  have  sized  up 
the  situation  in  St.  Agnes.  In  the  first  place,  Thomas  must 
earn  his  living,  and  consequently,  being  a  newcomer,  he 
should  tread  upon  nobody's  toes  and  make  no  enemies  until 
his  ability  and  honesty  is  recognized  and  he  is  pretty  surely 
planted.  Again,  in  running  for  the  nomination  for  that 
position,  especially  against  the  Missourian  now  in  office,  he 
will  have  to  fight  a  gang  who  resort  to  any  method  of  war 
fare,  however  unfair,  and  contemptible,  and  who  never  lose 
a  trick.  So  you  don't  want  to  put  them  on  their  guard  or 
post  them  till  the  last  minute.  But,  Thomas,  if  you  want 
the  office,  I'll  help  you,  because  I  like  you,  and  because  you 
have  had  a  training  in  that  garden  of  learning  and  litera 
ture  and  metaphysics,  the  Fatherland,  and  what  this  old 
Dutchman  will  do  for  you  will  count." 

"  Well,"  said  John  Stuart,  with  more  animation  than  he 
had  yet  shown,  with  a  tight  squeeze  of  his  biceps,  "  I  will 
punish  the  Missourian  and  any  chicken  of  the  gang  that 
shakes  his  comb  at  me,  so  that  his  physiognomy  will  be 
obliterated.  But,  Captain,  it  strikes  me,  the  first  thing  to 
do  is  drink  the  candidate's  health.  Let's  give  him  a 
good  send-off,"  and  Stuart  gave  a  side  glance  at  the  empty 
growler,  the  last  of  whose  contents  he  himself  had  disposed 
of. 


FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S  CAMP  83 

"  Well  said,  John  Stuart/'  replied  the  Captain,  "  and  we 
will  take  your  advice,  if  you  will  replenish  the  jug;  you  are 
familiar  with  the  fountain  from  which  it  is  filled." 

"Yes,  Captain,  ahem!  by  the  way,  are  there  any  Cali 
fornia  lions  in  this  neighborhood?  " 

"  No,  John  Stuart,  nothing  more  deadly  than  fleas  and 
skunks.  If  there  were  any  intruders  of  the  wild  beast  kind, 
my  good  dogs  would  soon  let  you  know." 

John  Stuart  made  a  safe  and  rapid  trip  to  the  Gambrinus 
Grotto  and  back,  and  Herman's  health  was  drunk  in  a  foam 
ing  bumper  of  St.  Agnes'  not  too  overpowering  brew ;  after 
which  Herr  Lasalle  cried,  "  To  bed,  brethren,"  and  the  sym 
posium  ended  and  each  betook  himself  to  his  cot  in  the 
sleeping  tent. 

Herr  Lasalle  was  given  a  resting  place  in  the  front,  next 
to  the  entrance,  this  to  enable  him  to  rest  as  was  his  custom, 
his  head  wrapped  in  a  blanket  and  his  bared  lower  extremi 
ties  exposed  to  the  breezes  and  the  dew  of  the  night  outside 
his  sleeping  apartment.  Across  the  way  from  him  on  the 
other  side  of  the  entrance  was  Dr.  Barton,  who,  as  the 
Captain  knew,  suffered  from  insomnia,  and  was  wont  to 
arise  during  the  night  and  try  to  walk  off  his  wakefulness. 

When  the  last  had  retired,  during  that  luxurious  interval 
between  the  grateful  contact  with  the  sheets  and  the  arrival 
of  Morpheus,  when  conversation  is  sweetly  confidential  and 
sympathetic,  Captain  Seymour  asked  Herman  if  he  believed 
in  what  is  termed  spiritualism. 

"  No,"  replied  Herman,  "  it  would  be  impossible  for  me 
to  be  convinced  that  the  spirits  of  the  departed  could  be 
juggled  back  to  this  world,  especially  through  the  instru 
ments  and  instrumentalities  resorted  to  in  the  pretended 
accomplishment  of  this  unnatural  feat.  I  have  never  yet 
witnessed  any  spirit  demonstrations  or  manifestations  that 
were  not  capable  of  being  produced  by  an  expert  in  legerde 
main,  without  the  aid  of  spirits  or  mediums.  Besides,  I 
regard  the  so-called  religion  or  science  as  an  incident  of 
paganism,  it  having  been  always  associated  with  pagan  rites 
and  orgies.  You  will  find  that  its  chronic  disciples  are  peo 
ple  who  cannot  feel  or  comprehend  the  sacred  in  life,  the 
holiness  that  makes  the  perfect  union  between  human  crea 
tures  and  unites  the  soul  of  man  with  the  divine  source  of 


84,  ROMANCE  ON  EL  GAMING  REAL 

inspiration,  and  which  quickens  and  broadens  the  mind  and 
elevates  the  intellect  to  interpret  the  principles  and  under 
stand  the  propelling  potencies  of  human  life,  in  the  depth 
and  breadth  of  its  existence.  Their  gospel  is  the  ministry 
of  the  senses,  and  being  severed  from  the  divine  economy  of 
spiritual  life,  and  requiring  some  sort  of  influence  from  the 
unknown  land  of  mystery  with  which  to  scent  and  flavor 
their  sensualism,  they  identify  and  commune  with,  in  the 
spirit  land,  individuals  with  the  attributes  of  men  as  they 
walked  on  earth  with  their  senses  and  passions,  without 
power  to  comprehend  such  a  thing  as  a  soul's  existence, 
freed  from  the  influence  of  matter/' 

"  You  are  very  hard  upon  these  people,  the  most  of  whom 
are  sincere  in  their  belief,  and  many  of  whom  are  reputable 
and  charitable  members  of  the  community,"  answered  Dr. 
Barton. 

"  This  may  be,"  said  Herman,  "  but  can  you  tell  me  any 
valuable  information  or  useful  knowledge  or  direction  ever 
given  by  a  spirit  conj  ured  through  a  medium  ?  " 

"  Your  views,  Thomas,"  broke  in  Herr  Lasalle,  "  are  to 
an  extent  those  of  an  amateur  who  has  not  cared  to  investi 
gate  and  study  the  relation  between  the  living  and  the  dead 
and  the  wonderful  phenomena  connected  with  their  inter 
course.  You  pay  attention  to  the  spiritualistic  parapher 
nalia  and  machinery  and  masquerading,  all  of  which  is 
repellent  to  the  reason  and  disgusts  the  man  who  treats 
with  principles  and  essences.  The  practice  of  divination 
and  spirit  raising  has  in  it  more  quacks  and  charlatans  than 
any  other  trade  or  profession  and  the  most  of  the  antics  of 
so-called  spirits  with  their  mediums,  cabinet  performances, 
table  knocking,  etc.,  are  pure  clap-trap.  But,  there  is  a 
communion  here  on  earth  with  the  spirits  of  those  gone  from 
this  life;  there  is  an  influence,  expressed  in  comprehensible 
though  soundless  language,  and  a  power  coming  from  the 
spirits  of  human  beings  once  with  us,  made  manifest  in  man 
ner  as  are  the  whispers  of  Providence  to  the  creatures  He 
guides  and  protects,  which  have  been  felt  by  every  sympa 
thetic  soul.  The  most  of  people  cannot  make  real  and  find 
language  to  express  these  conscious  visitations.  Some,  how 
ever,  can,  and  I  am  of  that  number.  I  can  at  times,  under 
peculiar  conditions,  give  the  communications  that  are 


FUN  IN  A  SURVEYOR'S  CAMP  65 

bestowed  upon  me  in  concrete  form,  and  repeat  them  in 
words."  Here  Herr  Lasalle  paused  a  few  moments,  during 
which  there  was  a  dead  silence.  Finally  he  continued  in 
low,  deep,  solemn  tones,  "  I  feel  the  influence  controlling  me 
now;  there  is  someone  from  the  other  world  desiring  to 
speak  through  me." 

"  Is  that  so,  Lasalle,"  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  turning  upon 
his  side  toward  Lasalle,  and  putting  his  hand  back  of  his 
ear  as  a  sounding  board,  so  as  not  to  miss  a  syllable. 

Herr  Lasalle,  after  a  short  interval,  went  on  in  the  same 
impressive  tone :  "  Someone  eagerly  asks  to  speak  to  the 
present  owner  of  the  rancho  upon  which  this  camp  is 
located." 

"  Gracious  me,"  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  rising  upon  one 
elbow,  "  that  is  myself.  Who  is  he,  and  what  does  he 
want  ?  " 

"  He  says  his  name  is  Julius  Latern,  who  once  lived  and 
met  death  in  the  old  ranch-house  nearby." 

"  Heavens  above !  is  that  so  ?  "  cried  the  Doctor,  sitting 
bolt  upright  in  bed  and  mopping  his  head  with  a  silk  hand 
kerchief,  "  ask  him  what  killed  him." 

"  He  says,  and  says  in  an  irritated  tone  of  voice,  that  he 
will  not  declare  the  secret  until  it  is  his  privilege  to  leave 
the  house  of  his  misery  on  earth  and  join  the  band  of  the 
free  spirits  in  heaven,  and  he  never  will  gain  his  freedom, 
until  you  give  up  sending  old,  wrinkled  and  impudent  female 
mediums  after  him,  who  keep  him  all  the  time  in  a  swearing 
humor  and  prevent  his  having  the  equanimity  of  temper 
necessary  to  gain  him  entrance  to  the  higher  sphere.  That 
this  is  what,  through  the  leniency  of  his  trusty,  he  has  volun 
tarily  appeared  to  tell  you." 

"  How  terrible,"  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  and  jumping  from 
his  bed,  he  rushed  out  into  the  open  air.  As  he  stepped 
from  the  tent,  he  suddenly  caught  sight  of  Herr  Lasalle's 
naked  legs,  and  leaping  backwards,  he  cried,  "  My  God, 
the  corpse !  "  when  tripping  over  the  tent  cord,  he  plunged 
rear-foremost  into  a  tub  of  water  the  cook  had  deposited 
for  the  morning  ablutions. 

The  cots  of  Captain  Seymour  and  John  Stuart  and  Her 
man,  trembled  as  in  an  earthquake  shock,  and  partly 
smothered  convulsions  of  emotion  arose  from  them.  Herr 


86     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Lasalle  completely  enveloped  his  head  with  the  blanket  and 
soon  the  end  of  the  tent  shook  with  powerful,  if  muffled, 
demonstrations  of  profound  slumber. 

Just  before  dawn,  the  Captain  awoke  with  a  consuming 
thirst,  and  stepping  from  his  bed,  he  stole  out  and  stealthily 
made  his  way  to  the  Gambrinus  Grotto.  Stretching  out  his 
hand  to  the  spigot,  he  was  almost  as  much  startled  as  was 
the  Doctor  the  evening  before,  as  he  touched  another  hand 
clasping  it.  He  instinctively  said,  "  Is  that  you,  John 
Stuart?" 

"  Is  that  you,  Captain,  your  good  health  ?  "  was  the  reply. 

"  Drink  hearty,"  said  the  Captain,  and  thus  closed  the 
incidents  of  the  night. 


CHAPTER  X 

SENORA    VALENZUELA,    CARMELITA    AND    PANCHO 

HERMAN  sat  in  his  office  alone,  in  a  deep  study,  looking 
out  upon  the  sleepy  street,  with  its  odd  mixture  of  venerable 
tile-roofed  adobes  and  modern  wooden  buildings,  of  ugly 
shape.  He  was  speculating  upon  his  coming  career,  wonder 
ing  what  the  future  had  in  store  for  him  in  this  new  and 
yet  unfamiliar  field  of  labor.  His  thoughts  went  back  to 
when,  as  a  boy  just  maturing  into  manhood,  he  sat  under  the 
old  chestnut  tree  at  the  school  in  Switzerland  and  dreamed 
of  his  life  as  a  man,  and  the  greatness  he  would  achieve. 
And  then  they  flew  to  the  present,  and  the  street,  in  the 
glare  of  the  afternoon's  sun,  looked  still  more  dreary  and 
the  structures  that  faced  it  more  forlorn,  as  he  realized  how 
few  opportunities  for  distinction  there  were;  and  such  a 
long,  weary  road  to  plod  along  to  eminence,  away  from  the 
City,  down  in  the  most  easy  going  of  the  Cow  Counties. 
Then  he  recalled  the  conversation  at  Captain  Seymour's 
camp  and  the  Doctor's  suggestion  that  he  enter  the  political 
arena  as  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  District  Attorney. 
At  first  he  repelled  the  idea  as  meaning  a  foolish  struggle 
for  what  he  had  small  hope  of  winning,  and  which,  if  won, 
would  bring  him  little  honor  and  less  profit.  But  the  longer 
he  pondered,  the  more  feasible  and  less  distasteful  became 
the  project,  and  finally  he  was  convinced  that  to  try  for  this 
position  might  be  the  starting  on  a  public  career  which 
would  lead  him  on  to  brilliant  success.  He  had  just  reached 
this  conclusion  when  his  revery  was  broken  by  a  knock  at  the 
door.  In  response  to  Herman's  invitation  to  come  in,  a  tall, 
fine-looking  native  Californian  entered.  He  could  not  have 
been  much  over  twenty-one  years  of  age,  with  a  happy, 
frank,  ingenuous  face  and  gentlemanly  address.  Probably 
this  young  fellow  had  never  been  outside  Southern  Cali 
fornia,  and  his  education  was  acquired  mostly  from  the 

87 


68  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Franciscan  friars ;  but  he  greeted  Herman  with  as  much  ease 
and  grace  of  manner  as  if  he  had  been  bred  in  a  refined 
city  social  circle. 

"  Mr.  Thomas/'  he  said  as  he  bowed  and  shook  hands,  "  I 
am  Francisco,  or  as  my  friends  all  call  me,  Pancho  Rodri 
guez.  Old  Col.  Morgan,  Dr.  Barton  and  Captain  Seymour, 
all  recommend  you  very  highly  as  an  attorney.  They  all  say 
you  are  a  good  lawyer  and  honest  and  kind-hearted,  and  I 
think  you  would  be  just  the  one  to  get  for  a  poor  old 
Spanish  woman,  the  mother  of  a  young  lady  who  is  my 
friend,  an  interest  in  a  large  rancho  some  cold-blooded 
Americans  and  her  own  uncle  are  trying  to  rob  her  of." 

"  It  was  kind  of  them  to  speak  so  nicely  of  me,"  said 
Herman,  "  and  I  hope  that  I  have  enough  legal  ability.  I 
know  that  I  have  all  the  required  patience  and  industry, 
to  help  your  friend  in  recovering  what  belongs  to  her." 

"  She  has  no  money,  Mr.  Thomas,  but  is  willing  to  give 
you  a  good  share  of  the  property,  if  you  win.  She  and  her 
daughter  and  I  can  manage,  ourselves  and  through  good, 
charitable  friends,  to  get  together  enough  for  the  expenses." 

"  This  is  perfectly  satisfactory  to  me,"  said  Herman, 
"  and  I  am  at  your  service  whenever  you  furnish  me  the 
facts." 

"  Well,  if  you  can  come  with  me  now,  I  will  introduce 
you  to  the  ladies,  Sefiora  Valenzuela  and  her  daughter 
Carmelita,  and  you  can  learn  all  that  any  of  us  know,  and 
you  can  then  see  if  the  Sefiora  has  any  chance." 

Herman  expressed  his  readiness  to  go  at  once,  and 
Pancho  conducted  him  to  the  home  of  the  mother  of  his  very 
dear  friend  Carmelita. 

The  husband  of  Sefiora  Valenzuela,  like  many  of  the 
native  Californian  landed  gentry,  had,  besides  his  ranch- 
house,  a  lot  in  the  pueblo,  or  what  we  might  call  the  county 
town,  on  which  was  a  comfortable  adobe  house.  Generally 
these  lots  had  a  pepper  tree  or  two  to  shade  the  doorways, 
and,  may  be,  a  few  straggling  plants,  such  as  St.  Joseph's 
rod,  growing  side  by  side  with  some  chili-colorado ;  but  the 
Senora's  home  displayed  neatness,  taste  and  attractiveness 
in  marked  contrast  to  the  bareness  and  unkemptness  of  the 
others.  There  vas  a  picturesque  little  fence,  kept  spotlessly 
white,  a  well  with  an  old-fashioned  windlass  and  bucket,  a 


SENORA  VALENZUELA  89 

rose  trailing  over  the  porch,  a  walk  bordered  by  shells  from 
the  beach,  some  flower  beds,  with  brilliant  California  poppies, 
pansies  and  violets,  gillie-flowers,  forget-me-nots  and  wild 
roses,  the  seeds  and  plants  for  which  could  have  come  from 
no  other  garden  than  that  of  Col.  Morgan.  On  one  side  the 
veranda,  which  ran  the  length  of  the  front,  hung  a  large 
olla,  and  on  the  other,  was  suspended  a  willow  home-made 
cage  from  which  a  young  mocking-bird  was  pouring  forth  a 
torrent  of  song,  as  Herman  and  Pancho  entered  the  yard. 

They  were  met  at  the  door  by  a  girl  of  about  seventeen, 
strikingly  pretty,  as  Herman  thought,  of  pure  Mexican 
type,  rounded  features,  full  red  lips,  free  from  coarseness, 
large  black  eyes,  a  complexion  of  clear  olive,  often  mantled 
by  a  deep  red  flush,  a  magnificent  mass  of  jet-black  hair,  in 
waves  above  the  forehead,  and  plaited  into  braids  whose 
red-ribboned  bows  swayed  away  below  her  waist.  Not  tall, 
nor  yet  undersized;  not  plump,  neither  too  thin,  there  was, 
with  a  natural  grace  and  ease  of  movement,  a  blending  and 
harmony  of  charms  which  made  of  this  native  girl  a  beauty. 

"  Pancho,"  thought  Herman,  "  has  certainly  good  taste 
in  the  selection  of  his  lady  friends,  he  could  not  be  long  a 
friend,  without  becoming  a  lover." 

"  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Pancho,  "  this  is  Seilorita  Carme- 
lita,  the  friend  of  whom  I  spoke/' 

Carmelita,  blushing,  put  out  her  hand  to  Herman  and  said, 
"  Buenas  tardes,  Senor." 

"  No,  mi  Carmelita,  you  must  speak  in  English  to  Mr. 
Thomas,  he  has  not  been  long  enough  among  the  mujeres 
del  pals  to  understand  even  such  witches  as  you,  in  Span 
ish." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Thomas,"  Carmelita  said,  with  a  soft,  lisping 
little  accent,  "  I  will  do  my  best,  and  I  hope  that  you  will 
not  be  cruel,  like  that  bad  boy  Pancho,  who  is  always  mak 
ing  fun  of  me  and  playing  jokes  even  on  poor,  old  Mamma. 
Come  in  and  I  will  introduce  you  to  my  mother,  who  does 
not  understand  a  word  of  English,  and  to  Father  Aloysius, 
who  is  a  fine  interpreter." 

Carmelita  ushered  Herman  and  Pancho  into  a  long  uncar- 
peted  room,  with  a  door  at  either  end,  evidently  leading  into 
sleeping  apartments,  and  one  in  the  center,  which  connected 
it  with  the  culinary  and  work  department.  There  was  little 


90     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

furniture,  a  large  oak  table,  a  couple  of  wooden  benches 
against  the  wall,  a  few  chairs,  some  highly  colored  prints 
of  saints,  a  crucifix  and  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  with 
holy  water  font.  On  one  of  the  two  deep  window  seats, 
deep  as  the  thick  adobe  wall,  lay  a  violin  and  a  guitar. 
At  one  end  of  the  table,  in  an  arm  chair,  sat  Senora  Valen- 
zuela,  a  crippled  old  lady,  in  a  black  dress,  with  a  black  lace 
cape  about  her  shoulders,  and  what  looked  to  Herman  like 
a  black  skull-cap  on  her  thick  grey  hair.  In  her  lap  was 
some  lace  drawn-work  which  she  had  for  the  moment  laid 
down,  while  the  guests  were  present.  Close  by,  on  one  of 
the  wooden  benches,  sat  a  Franciscan  friar,  wearing  a  habit 
of  gray,  then  the  prescribed  color  of  the  order.  He  arose 
as  Carmelita  and  the  young  man  entered,  and  bowed  a 
greeting. 

"  Mamma,"  said  Carmelita,  in  Spanish  in  presenting  Her 
man,  "  this  is  the  gentleman,  the  lawyer  of  whom  our  friends 
spoke  so  highly.  Pancho  tells  me  that  he  would  gladly  aid 
us  in  getting  back  our  property." 

The  Senora  bade  him  welcome  and  expressed  her  pleas 
ure  in  meeting  him,  in  a  few  softly  spoken  words,  inter 
preted  by  Carmelita,  and  then  asked  the  priest,  whom  she 
introduced  as  Father  Aloysius,  to  tell  Herman  the  facts  con 
cerning  her  property  interests  and  the  rights  she  claimed, 
as  he  knew  all  the  circumstances  and  could,  better  than 
anyone,  explain  them.  Herman,  coming  into  the  subdued 
light  of  the  room  from  the  glare  of  the  sun,  had  not  par 
ticularly  noticed  the  priest;  but  his  attention  having  thus 
been  directed  to  him,  he  was  impressed  with  his  striking 
appearance.  His  religious  name  was  remarkably  appro 
priate  to  his  personality;  for  his  face  breathed  the  spirit 
uality  which  exalted  the  countenance  of  this  youthful  saint. 
He  was  above  the  medium  height,  slender  and  easy  and 
graceful,  but  refined  and  intellectual,  and  his  mobile  lips  and 
wonderful  eyes  which  seemed  capable  of  displaying  every 
emotion  of  the  heart,  with  a  fire,  hidden  during  most  of  the 
time,  but  flashing  out  like  a  bolt  from  the  sky,  when  aroused 
to  strike  or  defend  in  what  he  felt  a  righteous  cause,  gave 
it  wonderful  expression  and  power.  Herman  felt  that  he 
was  in  the  presence  of  no  ordinary  character,  and  with  the 
prophetic  instinct  which  is  born  in  sensitive  souls,  the 


SENORA  VALENZUELA  91 

thought  came  to  him  that  this  quiet  Franciscan,  at  some  time, 
and  in  some  way,  was  to  have  an  influence  upon  his  life. 

Father  Aloysius  in  perfect  English,  made  musical  by  a 
slight  accent  which  disclosed  his  Spanish  birth,  detailed  to 
Herman  in  clear,  comprehensive  and  simple  language  the 
facts  of  the  Senora's  case. 

The  father  of  Senora  Valenzuela,  Don  Jose  Castanos, 
was  one  of  three  brothers  to  whose  deceased  father  the 
Mexican  Government  had  granted  the  rancho  El  Roblar 
Viejo,  a  tract  of  land  whose  natural  boundaries  embraced 
about  twenty  leagues  or  nearly  eighty  thousand  acres,  but 
which  the  Commission  to  settle  Land  Claims  in  California 
had  cut  down  to  about  forty  thousand  acres,  and  the  United 
States  Courts  had  confirmed  the  grant  for  this  quantity. 
The  Surveyor  General,  under  the  direction  of  the  deceased 
grantee's  sons  and  their  shrewd  attorneys,  had  caused  to  be 
surveyed  and  located  the  tract  confirmed  in  an  irregular 
shape,  taking  in  all  the  best  land  and,  at  the  same  time, 
controlling  the  canons  and  water  sources  and  mountain 
slopes  adjacent,  which  the  grantee's  cattle  had  the 
advantage  of,  at  the  government's  expense.  Ten  thousand 
acres  of  the  rancho,  set  off  advantageously,  went  to  the 
attorneys  who  had  attended  to  the  confirmation  of  the 
grant  before  the  Land  Commission  and  courts.  These 
lawyers  were  not  prompted  in  their  labors  by  any  feeling 
of  philanthropy  or  charitable  wish  to  preserve  to  the  old 
California  settlers  the  beneficiaries  of  the  Mexican  Govern 
ment,  a  portion  of  their  possessions,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
grew  to  feel  that  having  acquired,  as  reward  of  their  skill, 
a  portion  of  the  patrimony,  they  were  justified  in  absorbing 
it  all  by  purchase  at  a  figure  far  below  its  worth,  through 
advantage  taken  of  the  ignorance  of  American  business 
tactics,  weakness  and  necessities  of  the  owners. 

One  of  the  three  Castanos  brothers,  Pedro,  was  a  pliant 
subject  and  unscrupulous  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  lawyers, 
who  were  his  selection  in  the  procurement  of  the  confirma 
tion  of  the  grant.  He  did  nothing  on  the  rancho,  except 
officiate  at  the  rodeos,  and  then  only  to  eat  the  barbecued 
beef  and  drink  the  native  wine  and  aguardiente,  and  bet 
upon  a  mustang  race  or  cock  fight  and  fleece,  at  cards,  the 
rancheros  and  vaqueros  in  attendance.  In  town,  most  of 


92  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

his  time  was  spent  at  the  monte  table.  It  was  said  of  him 
that  he  knew  more  of  the  bandit  Joaquin  Murieta  and  his 
haunts  and  lines  of  travel  than  was  exactly  compatible  with 
the  employment  and  diversions  of  an  honest  land-owner. 
He  and  General  Peters,  par  nobile  fratrum,  were  intimates, 
and  many  a  game  of  cards  they  took  part  in  as  confederates, 
and  had  established  a  more  perfect  signal  code  of  its  kind 
than  any  constructed  for  use  of  the  government  secret  serv 
ice. 

The  other  brother,  Antonio,  lived  a  great  part  of  the 
time  upon  the  rancho,  taking  charge  when  his  brother  Jose 
was  absent.  He  was  of  weak  character  and  easily  influ 
enced,  especially  by  his  brother  Pedro,  whom  he  regarded 
as  a  very  bright  man,  and  if  there  were  any  papers  to  be 
signed  or  affidavits  to  be  made  in  matters  concerning  the  title 
of  the  rancho,  Antonio  was  ready,  at  Pedro's  bid,  to  do 
the  signing  and  swearing.  Jose,  who  knew  only  too  well 
the  character  and  peculiar  ways  of  his  brother  Pedro,  con 
stantly  warned  Antonio  against  blindly  obeying  his  wishes, 
and  predicted  trouble.  After  the  confirmation  of  the  grant 
and  the  setting  apart  of  the  tract  to  the  lawyers,  and  more 
than  five  years  before  Herman  appeared  upon  the  scene,  the 
lawyers  with  their  friends  formed  a  corporation  for  the 
acquiring,  owning  and  selling  of  real  property,  entitled  El 
Roblar  Viejo  Land  Company,  and  conveyed  their  portion  of 
El  Roblar  Viejo  to  the  Company.  Immediately  afterwards, 
the  records  showed  a  deed  to  the  Company  executed  by 
Pedro  and  Antonio,  reciting  that  they,  Pedro  and  Antonio, 
were  the  owners  of  the  rancho  El  Roblar  Viejo,  excepting 
the  portion  partitioned  to  the  lawyers,  and  purporting  to 
convey  the  entire  rancho,  except  the  lawyers'  tract,  and 
the  live  stock  upon  it.  The  conveyance  was  made  during 
the  illness  of  Don  Jose,  which  ended  soon  afterwards  in  his 
death.  The  character  and  form  of  this  deed  made  by 
Pedro  and  Antonio  attracted  no  attention  until  Sefiora 
Valenzuela  had  been  appointed  by  the  Court  executrix  of 
Don  Jose's  will,  to  whom  he  had  left  all  his  property,  and 
she  sought  an  accounting  of  her  share  of  the  profits  of  the 
rancho  and  the  segregation  of  the  proportion  of  the  cattle 
that  had  belonged  to  her  father.  Then,  to  the  surprise  and 
consternation  of  Sefiora  Valenzuela  and  her  friends,  her 


SENORA  VALENZUELA  93 

right  to  any  part  of  the  land  or  cattle  was  denied  by  the 
Company,  who  claimed  to  be  the  owners  of  the  rancho  and 
everything  on  it.  She  then  remembered  that,,  not  long  before 
her  father's  death,  he  had  been  visited  by  Pedro,  who  was 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company, 
and  General  Peters  and  a  young  man  who  was  recognized 
by  Father  Aloysius,  he  being  present  at  the  time,  as  a 
clerk  in  the  office  of  the  lawyers  of  the  grant  owners,  and 
who  said  that  he  was  the  secretary  of  the  Company.  They 
wished  to  see  Don  Jose  alone,  but  he  told  his  daughter  and 
Father  Aloysius  to  remain,  that  he  was  willing  that  all 
matters,  however  private,  be  known  by  them.  Pedro  then 
made  the  offer,  on  behalf  of  the  Company,  to  purchase  Don 
Jose's  interest  in  the  rancho  and  cattle,  and  pay  him  hand 
somely  for  the  same  in  the  stock  of  the  Company.  Don 
Jose  briefly  declined  the  offer,  saying,  "  I  am  too  old  and 
too  ill  to  invest  in  something  I  know  nothing  about.  Your 
stock  companies  are  strange  things  to  me.  I  will  keep  my 
land  and  my  cattle.  Adios,  Senores."  This  ended  the  in 
terview. 

After  demand  had  been  made  upon  the  Company  by  the 
executrix  for  an  accounting,  what  purported  to  be  a  deed  to 
the  Company  by  Jose  Castanos  of  his  interest  in  the  rancho 
and  the  cattle  was  placed  of  record.  This  deed  bore  date 
some  days  prior  to  the  date  of  the  visit  of  Pedro,  Peters  and 
the  secretary  of  the  Company  to  Don  Jose,  as  Father 
Aloysius  could  testify,  he  having  carefully  noted  in  his 
diary  this  occurrence,  feeling  that  it  might  some  day  be  of 
importance.  This  deed  was  examined  by  the  attorney  of 
Jose's  estate,  and  he  reported  to  Senora  Valenzuela  that  it 
had  all  the  appearance  of  genuineness.  Comparing  the 
signature  with  other  signatures  appearing  upon  papers 
signed  by  Don  Jose,  it  seemed  to  be  identical  with  the 
others.  The  instrument  was  witnessed  by  Pedro  Castanos 
and  General  Peters,  and  acknowledged  by  Pedro  as  witness, 
after  Don  Jose's  death. 

The  attorney  of  the  estate,  Galindo,  was  a  Mexican,  of 
liberal  education,  who  had  picked  up  considerable  of  the 
technique  of  California  law,  and  as  it  appeared  later,  was 
a  dishonest  trickster.  He  had  left  St.  Agnes  before  Her 
man's  arrival.  After  his  departure  a  list  of  delinquent 


94      ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

stockholders  of  the  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company  was  pub 
lished,  and  his  name  appeared  as  one  of  the  stockholders, 
holding  a  large  block  of  stock. 

This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  Sefiora  Valenzuela.  Her  hus 
band  had  sold  his  rancho  and  cattle  and  lost  nearly  all  the 
proceeds  in  foolish  investments,  and  died  leaving  his  pueblo 
lot  and  one  or  two  thousand  dollars  to  his  widow,  the  extent 
of  her  fortune.  Delicate  in  health,  her  husband's  death  and 
the  thought  of  being  impoverished,  with  her  little  girl  to 
provide  for,  brought  upon  her  a  malignant  fever,  out  of 
which  she  came  a  permanent  cripple.  The  money  had  all 
been  spent  and  mother  and  daughter  earned  barely  enough 
to  support  life  —  like  with  most  native  Calif ornians,  it  re 
quired  little  for  food  and  dress  —  by  the  sale  of  lace,  con 
served  fruits  and  "  dulces,"  which  Carmelita  made  most 
skilfully  and  put  up  most  daintily,  flowers,  and  milk  and 
butter  furnished  from  a  fine  cow,  the  gift  of  their  Uncle 
Antonio,  who  seemed,  poor  fellow,  to  have  little  himself  to 
live  on,  since  trading  his  birthright  for  El  Roblar  Viejo 
shares  of  stock. 

In  the  meanwhile,  no  attention  seemed  to  be  paid  to  the 
administration  of  Don  Jose's  estate.  Time  slipped  by  while 
the  Sefiora  was  ill,  and  whenever  Galindo  was  urged  to  do 
something  towards  an  attempt  at  an  inquisition  into  the 
acquiring  of  Don  Jose's  property  by  the  company,  he  put 
them  off,  saying  that  he  was  quietly  investigating,  though 
with  little  hope,  as  shares  of  stock  appeared  upon  the  books 
of  the  company  to  have  been  issued  to  Don  Jose  at  the 
date  the  deed  bore;  until  five  years  had  expired  since  the 
company  had  taken  full  possession  of  the  property. 

"  You  will  see,  Mr.  Thomas,  that  you  have  before  you  no 
easy  task.  These  lawyers  are  able,  alert  and  unscrupulous, 
and  they  themselves  feel  now  assured  that  the  statute  of 
limitations  has  run  in  their  favor,  and  that  they  are  safe 
from  attack.  They  have  now  become  independent,  and  are 
ready  to  throw  overboard  Antonio,  to  whom  they  have  been 
loaning  money,  in  driblets,  on  his  stock.  Only  to-day  he  told 
me  that  he  had  received  notice  from  the  Company  demand 
ing  payment  of  the  loan  or  it  would  be  forced  to  sell  the 
pledged  stock.  They  do  not  dare,  at  least  as  yet,  to  dispose 
of  Pedro  in  like  manner,  but  they  hold  his  stock,  and  it  only 


SENORA  VALENZUELA  05 

means  the  keeping  him  in  a  little  ready  cash  during  his 
lifetime.  The  shares  of  stock  given  to  Antonio  and  Pedro 
really  amount  to  nothing,  as  the  corporation  was  capital 
ized  at  $500,000,  and  the  lawyers'  tract  was  turned  over 
at  $300,000,  and  out  of  the  remaining  $200,000  in  shares, 
it  is  supposed  Pedro  received  $100,000,  Antonio  $50,000, 
and  the  Company  claimed  that  Jose  received  the  remaining 
$50,000.  The  stock  of  these  minority  owners  you  will  per 
ceive,  can  any  day  be  assessed  to  pay  salaries  and  bogus 
expenses  and  sold  and  bought  by  the  majority  owners. 
Still,  if  you  desire  to  attempt  the  Herculean  feat,  Sefiora 
Valenzuela  is  willing  to  give  you,  as  compensation,  one- 
fourth  of  what  you  recover." 

Herman,  lost  in  thought,  made  no  reply  for  what  seemed 
a  long  time.  Finally  he  asked  if  anything  had  been  done 
towards  securing  a  United  States  patent  for  the  land. 

"  Not  to  our  knowledge,"  said  Father  Aloysius,  "  and  it 
has  seemed  to  me  remarkable  that  the  lawyers  have 
apparently  taken  no  steps  to  obtain  one." 

"  I  will  undertake  the  case,"  said  Herman,  "  difficult  as 
it  appears  to  be,  and  this  not  without  hope  of  success.  But 
it  is  all  important  for  the  present  that  absolutely  no  one 
outside  ourselves  know  that  I  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
matter,  or  in  fact,  that  any  action  of  any  kind  will  be  taken 
towards  recovering  the  property.  What  is  first  required  is 
additional  information  and  evidence,  rather  a  detective's  than 
a  lawyer's  work,  and  everything  depends  upon  secrecy." 

"  I  think  that  you  can  depend  upon  the  discretion  of  us 
all.  Both  these  young  people,  Carmelita  and  Pancho  have 
already  shown  in  this  important  matter,  that  they  can  be 
silent." 

Carmelita  and  Pancho  smiled  and  nodded  knowingly. 
They  were  seated  together  in  one  of  the  windows.  Carme 
lita  held  the  guitar  and  Pancho  had  picked  up  the  violin, 
and  while  Father  Aloysius  was  talking,  they  had  been,  as 
it  were,  unconsciously,  softly  striking  chords  in  harmony, 
and,  as  Father  Aloysius  glanced  at  them,  they  made,  framed 
with  the  thick  adobe  walls,  a  picture  that  Murillo  would 
have  felt  worthy  of  his  brush. 

Herman  asked  if  they  would  not  sing  some  favorite 
Spanish  song;  he  loved  ballads,  and  wished  to  become 


96     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

familiar  with  those  that  had  come  down  from  the  days  gone 
by,  when  language  and  music  and  art  in  California  were 
those  of  fair  and  famed  Andalusia. 

Naturally  and  unaffectedly  they  responded  to  Herman's 
request.  Pancho  played  the  refrain  as  a  prelude  on  the 
violin,  sweetly  and  with  feeling,  Carmelita  accompanying 
him  on  the  guitar,  and  then  they  sang  as  a  duo  that  exquisite 
love  song,  which  Herman  became  very  fond  of,  La  Ter- 
nura,  the  words  of  which,  as  handed  down  by  tradition  (no 
one  had  a  copy  of  them  in  print),  are  as  follows: 

"Te  vf,  te  ame",  y  mi  alma  enttfnces, 

Con  fuego,  con  amor  y  con  ternura, 
Te  dijo,  yo  te  adoro,  virgen  pura, 
Y  tu  ingrata,  despreciaste  mi  pasion. 

Tal  vez  el  cielo  te  ordena  que  no  me  ames 

Complace  asi  su  voluntad  sagrada, 
Mas  ruegote,  mujer  idolatrada, 

Mi  pecho  consuela  en  su  affliccion. 

Vive  feliz,  mujer  hermosa, 

Vive  dichosa  al  contemplar 
Que  existe  un  hombre  que  ti  se  adora 

Que  por  ti  llora,  Ay!  sin  cesar. 

Oye,  mujer,  mi  sentimiento, 

Oye,  el  acento  de  mi  cancion; 
Oye,  que  solo  pido  la  muerte, 

Si  no  es  mi  suerte,  su  corazon." 

Father  Aloysius  stood,  with  one  hand  resting  upon  the 
table,  looking  at  the  happy  young  couple,  as  they  played  and 
sang,  with  sadness  and  earnestness  in  his  face,  and  when 
the  song  was  done,  and  Herman  had  thanked  them,  the 
Father  said,  "  Good-by,  my  dear  children.  May  God  ever 
keep  in  your  hearts  the  purity  which  is  the  refining  spirit 
of  music  and  the  religion  which  exalts  it  to  a  divine  ministry 
among  men." 

Father  Aloysius  and  Herman  left  the  house  together  and 
strolled  along  the  street  out  into  the  highway,  an  ungraded 
road,  which  led  to  the  Mission;  Herman  pointing  out  his 
office  as  they  passed  it,  inviting  the  Father  to  make  of  it  a 
resting  place  whenever  he  came  to  town.  The  sun  was  just 
sinking  and  the  soft  glow  which  steals  over  the  landscape 


CARMELITA  AND  PAXCHO 


SENORA  VALENZUELA  97 

at  this  hour  had  transformed  mountain  and  valley  and  ocean 
into  a  magic  blending  of  subdued  colors,  and  the  breeze 
from  the  ocean  seemed  to  bear  upon  it  a  poetry  and  peace 
that  touched  the  heart  of  each.  They  conversed  as  old 
friends  about  St.  Agnes,  its  history  and  its  people,  their 
traits  of  character,  their  habits  and  customs,  their  good 
qualities  and  their  weaknesses,  and  their  misfortunes.  Her 
man  learned  much  which  was  afterwards  of  great  use  from 
the  Franciscan,  whom  he  soon  discovered  to  be  a  keen 
observer  and  rarely  erring  judge  of  human  nature.  When 
they  parted,  it  was  with  the  understanding  that  they  should 
see  each  other  often,  at  the  Mission  and  in  Herman's  not 
seldom  lonely  office. 


CHAPTER  XI 

RUHEPLATZ 

IT  was  a  morning  in  Springtime.  The  night  before,  a 
sprinkling  of  rain  as  from  a  watering  pot,  a  flash  of 
mimic  lightning,  like  a  celestial  fire-fly,  for  an  instant 
illumining  the  Western  sky,  hung  with  grotesquely  shaped 
drifts  of  somber  clouds,  the  background  of  a  star-studded 
canopy  of  blue;  a  few  rumblings  and  detonations  following 
long  after  the  flash,  mild  echoes  from  the  forge  of  Jove's 
armory,  announced  to  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Agnes  that 
winter's  sway  had  ended  and  the  rainy  season  was  over. 

In  front  of  Colonel  Morgan's  cottage  were  his  two  daugh 
ters  and  Capt.  Seymour  and  Herman,  mounted  on  strongly 
built,  spirited  half-breed  nags,  just  starting  out  on  a  visit 
to  a  little  vineyard  some  twelve  miles  down  the  coast,  where 
an  Austrian  of  birth  and  breeding  —  once  wealthy,  now  with 
little  left  from  reckless  mining-stock  gambling,  except  an 
olive  grove  and  orange  and  citron  orchard  and  a  vineyard  — 
was  glad  to  furnish  entertainment  to  his  friends  at  a  rea 
sonable  price,  which  afforded  the  additional  profit  of  bring 
ing  to  their  attention  the  bouquet  of  a  mellow,  sweet  wine, 
fruity  and  with  the  unimpaired  flavor  of  the  grape,  made 
from  the  product  of  his  vines ;  carefully  selected  and  picked 
grapes,  let  ripen  until  they  were  nearly  ready  for  use  as 
raisins;  also  his  luscious  pickled  olives,  large  and  fat  and 
put  up  temptingly  in  old-fashioned  jars  that  looked  as  if 
they  had  come  from  a  Vienna  pottery;  delicious  orange 
marmalade,  conserved  citrons  and  lastly  his  pure  olive  oil, 
in  vials  holding  enough  for  a  bountiful  salad,  and  bearing, 
on  an  artistic  label,  his  family  crest.  His  wife,  not  unlike 
in  looks  Maria  Theresa,  whose  shapely  hands  had  never 
been  marred  by  the  rougher  household  work,  was  neverthe 
less  a  skilled  cook,  with  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  herbs 
and  spices  and  relishes,  and  had  a  kitchen  garden  that  threw 


RUHEPLATZ  99 

into  ecstasy  mine  host  of  the  St.  Louis  Hotel,  when  he  once 
called  there,  having  heard,  through  Herman,  of  Baron 
Municheisen's  choice  delicacies. 

Col.  Morgan,  beaming  with  fatherly  pride  and  affection, 
stood  at  the  gate,  his  broad  sombrero  lifted  in  the  air,  and 
wished  them  a  joyous  time,  and  the  ladies  saluted  with  their 
whips,  and  the  young  men  raised  their  hats,  while  a  little 
red  spaniel  capered  around,  barking  at  the  horses  and 
returning  every  now  and  then  to  kiss  his  old  master's  hand. 

"  Good-by,  Papa,"  said  Martha,  the  elder,  "  a  peaceful 
day  to  you,  with  no  chatterboxes  of  girls  to  interrupt  your 
reading  and  pester  you  in  your  work  in  the  garden." 

"  Adios,  Daddy/'  called  out  Anna,  "be  very  good  while 
we  are  gone,  and  don't  forget  to  go  to  lunch,  and  don't 
hang  your  hat  on  the  hydrant  while  it  is  running,  or  use 
my  cutting-out  shears  to  trim  roses,  or  when  I  come  back 
I  will  punish  you  by  making  you  listen  an  hour  to  my  piano 
etudes."  And  with  that,  she  lifted  her  whip  in  the  air,  and 
crying,  "  en  avant,  mes  enfants/'  brought  it  down  across  her 
horse's  flanks  and  was  off,  Capt.  Seymour  dashing  after 
her  and  soon  at  her  side,  while  Martha  and  Herman  followed 
in  a  brisk  canter. 

There  never  was  a  lovelier  landscape,  a  brighter  or 
balmier  day,  a  more  entrancing  labyrinth  of  byways  and 
hillside  paths  and  mountain  trails,  and  ocean  strand,  to  make 
fascinating  a  ride. 

On  their  way  out  they  went  along  the  hillsides.  Every 
few  minutes  as  they  rode  up  and  down  and  wound  in  and 
out  of  slopes  and  canons,  some  vista  or  broad  panorama 
would  come  in  view,  each  different  from  the  other,  and  each 
lovely  as  the  other.  Here  a  little  valley  in  the  lap  of  oak- 
studded  hill-slopes,  with  the  mountains,  rugged  and  dark, 
rising  abruptly  in  the  background;  here  the  mountains 
softened  and  more  distant,  bordering  a  billowy  plain  of 
golden  mustard,  stretching  to  their  feet  from  a  semi-circle 
of  picturesque  green  hillocks;  now  up  to  a  prominence,  from 
which  a  glimpse  of  the  ocean  was  caught  through  the  portals 
of  a  ravine,  then  winding  down  and  across  some  little  wooded 
canon,  over  a  sparkling  stream,  with  banks  of  waving  ferns, 
up  to  a  commanding  plateau,  carpeted  with  a  wonderful 
tapestry  of  variegated  wild  flowers,  with  here  and  there, 


100          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

like  mats  carelessly  thrown,  great  patches  of  California 
poppies,  from  which  eminence,  broke  upon  the  view,  exalt 
ing  in  its  grandeur  and  beauty,  a  great  panorama  of  moun 
tains,  valleys,  ravines,  woods  and  the  ocean  and  mist-veiled 
islands  beyond.  How  could  Martha  and  Herman,  each 
animated  with  the  spirit  of  romance,  help  loitering  and  now 
and  then  stopping  to  drink  in  the  exquisite  charms  of  this 
fairyland.  More  than  once  were  Anna  and  the  Captain 
obliged  to  rest  under  a  tree  for  the  loiterers  to  catch  up; 
but  not  with  impatience  and  discontent,  for  many  a  merry 
peal  of  laughter  from  Anna's  throat,  was  borne  on  the 
breeze,  and  the  witchery  of  the  scene  was  irresistible  to 
them,  though  in  a  far  different  way,  by  adding  to  the  joy- 
ousness  of  their  light  hearts. 

Neither  Martha  nor  Herman  were  very  talkative  this 
morning;  each  seemed  a  little  shy  and  restrained,  and 
absorbed  in  their  own  thoughts,  they  paid  tribute  a  great 
part  of  the  time  in  silence  to  the  beauties  about  them. 

"  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Martha,  after  they  had  been  canter 
ing  along  for  a  half  mile  without  exchanging  a  word,  "  I 
used  to  think  that  there  could  be  nowhere  in  the  world  a 
lovelier  spot  than  our  old  Georgia  home;  but  I  was  mis 
taken.  I  love  it  none  the  less,  but  I  must  confess  that  St. 
Agnes  is  endowed  with  more  wonderful  charms.  Never 
have  I  seen  such  a  grouping  in  ever-changing  tableaux  of 
manifold  beauties  of  land  and  sea,  in  an  atmosphere  so 
delicious." 

"  There  could  not  be,"  replied  Herman,  "  a  more  beauti 
ful  country,  and  it  has  in  it  the  spirit  of  romance  to  woo  the 
fancy.  It  has  its  history  and  its  legends,  its  monuments 
and  ruins;  and  the  shades  of  heroes  and  martyrs  and  saints 
and  the  voices  of  lovers  and  warriors  and  worshipers,  from 
the  mists  of  the  past,  give  it  the  charm  that  makes  fascinat 
ing  the  pilgrim  shrines  of  the  traveler  in  an  old  country." 

"  Is  there  not  too  much  seductive  beauty,  too  much  balmi- 
ness  of  clime  for  hard  mental  work  and  great  accomplish 
ment?  "  enquired  Martha. 

"  I  feel  that  it  requires  a  constant  goad  to  action,  that 
labor  of  brain  here  is  double  that  required  for  the  same 
accomplishment  in  rougher  climates,  that  half  the  energy 
is  spent  in  getting  the  mind  up  to  the  working  point.  But 


RUHEPLATZ  101 

this  is  counteracted  by  the  absence  of  ailments,  ±he  health 
and  strength  that  comes  from  the  outdoor-  li:fe  -which  the 
busy  as  well  as  the  drones  enjoy.  One  is,  however,  tempted 
to  dream  and  play  more  than  he  should.  Just  think  what 
moral  courage  and  mighty  effort  it  would  have  taken  for 
me  to  forego  this  delightful  ride,  and  spend  the  day  among 
dry  books  and  papers,  however  important  the  work." 

"  It  is  different  with  our  sex,"  replied  Martha.  "  We  can 
accomplish  much  more  here  than  where  the  winters  are 
severe  and  the  summers  hot.  Household  duties  are  easier, 
and  we  have  time  for  happy  work  among  our  plants  and 
flowers.  Then,  away  from  furnaces  and  superheated  living 
rooms  and  suffocating  theaters  and  ball-rooms,  always,  night 
and  day,  breathing  pure  fresh  air,  the  women  like  the  men 
have  the  physical  strength  for  their  tasks,  and  their  brains, 
not  being  called  upon  at  any  and  all  moments  to  solve  prob 
lems  commanding  their  greatest  efforts,  are  readier  and 
more  energetic  in  performing  them." 

"  I  fear,  however,  you  will  get  lonely  and  may  be  dis 
contented  even  with  all  these  beauties  about  you,  away  from 
the  gaiety  and  intellectual  pleasures  of  a  brilliant  society." 

"  No,  I  shall  not,"  Martha  said,  "  I  am  old-fashioned, 
and  the  demands  of  society  were  always  irksome  to  me,  and 
they  become  a  great  burden  to  one  whose  mind  and  heart 
have  in  them  ideals  which  cannot  be  satisfied  by  worldly 
diversions  and  so-called  pleasures.  Besides,  I  am  happiest 
when  I  can  contribute  to  the  enjoyment  and  comfort  of 
Papa,  who  is  growing  old,  and  is  not  well,  and  he  is  better 
and  brighter  here  than  anywhere  else." 

"  You  know,"  said  Herman,  "  that  your  father  has  been 
very  kind  to  me,  and  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  giving  me 
a  standing  among  the  best  people  of  St.  Agnes,  and  has 
vouched  for  my  honor  and  integrity.  I  can  hardly  under 
stand  why  he  should  have  taken  such  an  interest  in  me,  a 
stranger  without  credentials  from  any  source  familiar  to 
him." 

"  You  should  feel  complimented,  Mr.  Thomas,  for  Papa, 
though  of  a  childlike  character,  is  an  excellent  judge  of 
human  nature.  He  is  anything  but  eager  to  make  new 
acquaintances,  and  he  has  a  great  love  for  his  daughters, 
and  a  most  exalted  idea  as  to  who  should  be  their  associates 


102          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  companions.  So,  Mr.  Thomas,  you  and  Capt.  Seymour 
should' feel  quite  proud  of  his  so  readily  approving  of  our 
escorts  to-day.  But  you  know  that  your  old  friend  Robert 
McFarland  is  always  sounding  your  praises,  and  Papa  has 
the  greatest  admiration  and  respect  for  him." 

"  Indeed,  I  am  proud  and  vain,  not  only  that  Col.  Morgan 
has  me  in  his  good  graces,  but  that  his  daughter  should 
submit  to  the  companionship  of  one  who  cannot  but  think 
himself  a  prosy  companion." 

"  Tra  la  la,  laggards  ahoy !  "  sang  Anna,  from  a  clump 
of  moss-fringed  oaks  ahead,  where  she  and  the  Captain 
awaited  the  stragglers,  "  what  slow-pokes  you  are.  One 
would  think,  Martha,  you  had  been  taking  a  law  course 
from  Mr.  Thomas,  which  is  about  as  slow  a  thing  as  I  can 
imagine." 

"  I  think  it  isn't  that  we  have  not  been  traveling  at  a 
fair  pace,  but  you  and  the  Captain  have  been  on  one  of 
the  '  flying  reconnaissances '  he  is  always  talking  about. 
Has  he  been  making  of  you  a  mounted  chainwoman  like  the 
'  agrimensores  '  of  old  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no.  He  has  been  quoting  poetry  in  quick 
measure,  and  making  his  horse  keep  time.  He  has  just 
been  telling  me  that  he  will  build  me  a  place  where  '  the 
perfumed  lights  from  alabaster  lamps  '  would  do  something. 
I  know  that  they  would  make  me  deathly  sick,  especially 
if  they  were  scented  with  pachule.  It  is  the  only  thing 
I  can  think  of  that  I  have  against  the  Latin  race.  They  are 
so  redolent  of  musky  odors  when  on  dress-parade.  They 
turn  up  their  noses  at  those  clean,  refreshing,  aromatic 
toilet  waters,  such  as  cologne  and  Florida  water  and 
bay-rum." 

"  You  have  no  sentiment,  Miss  Anna,"  said  Capt.  Sey 
mour,  as  he  viciously  threshed  his  riding-boot  with  his 
bridle  rein. 

"  The  Captain  thinks,"  remarked  Herman,  "  that  you 
do  not  respond  to  the  spirit  of  poetry  which  leaves  details 
to  the  imagination  of  each  one.  Now,  if  Pauline,  who  was 
carried  away  with  Claude's  rhapsodies,  was  fond  of  Florida 
water,  she  no  doubt  detected  its  delicate  scent  in  the  per 
fumed  lamps,  and  they  entranced  her  sense  of  smell  as 
Claude  intended  they  should." 


RUHEPLATZ  10S 

"  Never  mind,  Captain/'  said  Martha,  "  my  sister  is  a 
tease,  and  is  most  merciless  with  those  she  likes  best." 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  "  said  Anna,  "  what  nonsense !  we  all  know 
that  this  quotation  is  one  of  Capt.  Seymour's  stock-in- 
trade,  and  if  we  could  follow  his  footsteps  through  the 
past,  we  would  no  doubt  find  that  every  girl  of  his  acquaint 
ance  has  heard  it.  Why,  you  can  tell  the  way  he  recites  it, 
that  he  has  been  practising  it  for  years.  Cheer  up,  Cap 
tain,  you  know  that  your  poetic  fervor  is  all  a  sham;  you 
have  no  more  sentimentality  in  you  than  I  have,"  and  bow 
ing  low  in  her  saddle  to  the  Captain,  to  whose  eye  there 
came  again  its  accustomed  twinkle,  she  was  off,  with  her 
gallant  close  in  her  wake. 

"  She  is  like  a  sunbeam  borne  by  a  breath  of  fresh  air," 
said  Herman. 

About  noon  the  little  cavalcade  wound  up  from  a  narrow 
ravine  along  a  short,  steep  mountain  road  into  the  domains  of 
Baron  Municheisen.  Herman  as  he  entered  Ruheplatz, 
the  name  with  which  the  Baron  had  christened  his  retreat, 
was  always  reminded  of  some  German  wayside  inn,  where 
pedestrians  find  noontide  rest,  shade  and  appetizing  food 
and  drink,  though  its  landscape  setting  was  so  very  different. 
You  reached  from  the  road  a  broad  plateau,  from  which 
a  hill  sloped  upwards  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet, 
there  seeming  to  be  but  a  narrow  crevice  between  the 
curved  line  of  its  smooth  crest  and  the  dark  mountain  walls 
towering  to  the  sky  beyond.  The  hillside  was  covered 
with  vines,  and  at  the  vineyard's  foot,  on  one  side 
was  a  grove  of  olives  with  polished  trunks  and  foliage  of 
blended  light  and  somber  green,  and  on  the  other,  the 
orange  and  citron  orchards  crowned  with  blossoms  made 
the  air  heavy  with  their  fragance.  The  cottage,  which 
looked  as  if  translated  from  The  Tyrol,  stood  in  a  grove 
of  live-oaks  and  sycamores.  It  was  a  picturesque  edifice 
of  many  wings  and  peaks  and  gables,  eaves  and  balconies; 
with  climbing  roses,  fuchsias  and  honeysuckle,  and  boxes 
of  plants  on  the  broad  window  sills,  and  beds  of  flowers 
about  it,  with  a  little  lawn  stretching  out  under  the  oaks, 
and  here  and  there  a  palm  or  an  acacia.  A  brook,  skirted 
with  willows  and  alders,  ran  by  the  house  down  into  the 
ravine,  and  you  could  hear  the  measured  beating  of  a 


104          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

hydraulic  ram  which  forced  the  water  to  a  rustic  reservoir 
that  looked  like  a  great  dove-cot  between  the  branches  of 
a  huge  live-oak.  Fed  from  the  reservoir  was  a  little  foun 
tain  in  front  of  the  house,  where  the  water  gushed  from 
a  lily  held  aloft  by  a  plump  urchin  in  bronze,  of  Teutonic 
type,  and  fell  down  over  a  pile  of  rocks  into  a  mimic 
pond  where  gold  fish  flashed  and  on  which  water  lilies 
floated.  Back  of  the  house,  beyond  the  barn  and  stables, 
and  wine-press, —  that  were  as  quaint  and  picturesque  as 
the  cottage  —  protected  from  the  prevailing  wind  by  a  row 
of  tall  gum  trees,  was  a  field  of  grain  and  a  stretch  of 
pasture  land  where  were  feeding  some  horses  and  cows 
and  a  few  sheep  and  pigs.  At  one  side  of  the  house,  in 
the  open,  close  to  the  orange  grove,  where  the  air  was 
ladened  with  its  fragrance,  was  the  greatest  of  the  Baron's 
attractions.  A  huge  grape  vine,  with  a  great  gnarled  and 
twisted  trunk,  spread  its  leaved  branches,  from  which  in 
autumn  hung  great  bunches  of  purple  grapes,  over  a  net 
work  of  timbers,  supported  by  white  wooden  columns,  form 
ing  a  pavilion  large  enough  for  a  country  ball,  and  where 
many  a  merry  dance  had  taken  place.  Around  the  trunk 
of  the  vine  was  built  a  narrow  table  that  served  as  a  side 
board  on  which  was  displayed  a  marvelous  collection  of 
bottles  and  glasses  and  jugs  and  jars,  while  several  round 
lunch  and  dining  tables  stood  about.  Within  sight  of  the 
pavilion,  as  if  so  located  to  tempt  the  appetite  of  the 
Baron's  guests,  surrounded  by  a  pole  fence,  artistic  in  its 
crude  construction,  was  the  famous  kitchen  garden  and 
berry  patches,  in  which  grew  not  only  a  choice  variety 
of  vegetables,  herbs  and  berries,  but  fruit  trees,  of  all 
kinds,  which  shaded  its  walks  and  perfected  the  Baron's  gas- 
tronomical  resources.  Everywhere  one  looked,  the  house 
and  its  contents,  the  pavilion,  the  grounds,  the  structures 
and  adornments,  everything  bore  the  stamp  and  seemed 
to  breathe  the  sentiment  of  the  Fatherland. 

As  our  party  rode  up  into  the  grounds  of  Ruheplatz, 
they  were  met  by  two  handsome  young  St.  Bernard  dogs 
who,  dancing  in  front  of  the  horses,  flapping  their  ears 
and  wagging  their  tails,  barked  them  a  cordial  welcome, 
while  two  stately  peacocks,  with  gorgeous  outspread  tails, 
eying  them  superciliously,  strutted  about  like  stately  foot- 


RUHEPLATZ 


RUHEPLATZ  105 

men,  in  front  of  the  house.  The  entire  household,  the 
host  and  hostess,  an  elliptical,  fat-faced,  flaxen-haired 
German  maid,  in  short  skirts,  white  apron  and  pointed  cap, 
a  plump  bright-eyed  native  boy  in  blue  shirt  with  long 
red  necktie  and  peaked  Mexican  hat,  a  lazy-looking,  well- 
fed  Maltese  cat  and  an  inquisitive  pet  kid,  came  forth  to 
greet  them. 

The  Baron,  a  middle-sized,  finely  proportioned  man  of 
thirty-five,  with  refined  features,  fair  hair  and  luxuriant 
blonde  beard,  ran  down  the  front  steps,  and  received  the 
visitors  with  a  bow  and,  "  Welcome,  fair  ladies  and  gallant 
gentlemen  to  the  modest  charms  of  Ruheplatz !  May  I 
hold  your  steed,  Miss  Morgan,  while  Mr.  Thomas  has  the 
pleasure  of  assisting  you  dismount?  And  now,  Miss  Anna, 
I  am  at  your  service." 

The  boy  led  the  horses  to  the  stable,  and  the  oval  maid, 
after  ducking  an  abrupt  curtsy,  at  a  gesture  from  her 
mistress,  disappeared  within.  Madame  la  Baronne  in  a 
neatly  fitting,  simple  lawn  dress,  stood  on  the  porch,  at  the 
head  of  the  steps,  prepared  to  usher  the  ladies  into  the 
house.  Her  left  hand,  in  which  she  held  a  spray  of  orange 
blossoms,  rested  easily  on  the  newel-post,  and  her  attitude 
was  that  of  a  queen  unconscious  of  her  royalty.  Martha 
exclaimed  to  Herman,  as  they  looked  at  the  picture,  "  What 
grace  and  elegance !  There  is  no  doubt  that  gentle  blood 
will  elevate  and  refine  any  position  and  employment,  how 
ever  humble." 

The  Misses  Morgan  evidently  regarded  Madame  Mun- 
icheisen  as  a  friend,  rather  than  a  landlady,  by  the  warmth 
and  evident  pleasure  with  which  they  met  her. 

While  the  ladies  were  in  the  house  and  the  gentlemen 
were  viewing  the  Baron's  garden  and  orchards  and  spring 
house,  the  maid  appeared  with  a  huge  basket  on  her  rotund 
arm  which  she  bore  to  the  pavilion,  and  soon  had  one 
of  the  large  tables  spread  with  a  snowy  cloth  and  set  with 
china,  glass,  silver  and  cutlery  that  reflected  the  leaves 
and  curling  tendrils  of  the  vine-thatched  roof  in  their 
polished  surfaces.  Then  came  the  lady  of  the  house  with 
a  Bohemian  glass  bowl  and  an  armful  of  cut  flowers  and 
blossoms  which  she  arranged  with  rare  taste  in  the  bowl, 
as  a  center  piece.  In  the  meanwhile  the  oval  maid  circled 


106  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the   table,   depositing   in   one   corner   a   wooden   platter   on 
which   was   carved,   "  Give  us   this   day  our   daily   bread/' 
bearing  a  snowy  loaf;  and  here  and  there  sundry  relishes, 
olives    dressed    with    oil    and.  a    sprinkle    of    sliced    young 
onion  and  green  chili  pepper,  tender  young  radishes,  sweet 
pickled  figs,  mushroom  catsup,  and  sliced  lemon,  so  dainty 
looking,  in  such  attractive  little  dishes  and  flagons,  and  a 
decanter  of  the  highly  praised  Ruheplatz  wine,  and  a  glass 
pitcher  of  cold  mountain  water.     No  wonder  the  eyes  of  the 
hungry  equestrians,  as  they  gathered  about  the  table,  were 
fascinated  by  the  display,  and  their  appetites  whetted  to 
keenness.     But   when   they   were   all   seated,  including  the 
noble    proprietor    and    his    fair    wife,    whom    our    friends 
had  insisted  on  joining  the  party,  and  the  Baron  had  fin 
ished    his    grace,    pronounced    in    French,    with    an   abrupt 
"  ainsi  soit-il,"  and  the  oval  maid,  glowing  with  exertion 
and  enjoyment,  had  heaped  the  board  with  steaming  sub- 
stantials,  all  the  products  of  the  place,  young  and  tender 
and  delicately  seasoned  and  exhaling  an  intoxicating  incense, 
a  great  fat  capon,  browned  and  shining  as  though  varnished, 
and    new    potatoes    and    baked    little    marrow-fat    squash, 
and  young  roast  tomatoes  with  herb-flavored  stuffing,  and 
boiled  leeks  that  would  have  won  a  Welshman's  heart,  the 
guests  were  speechless  with  anticipated  pleasure.     Indeed,  it 
was    a   royal    feast,   there   under   the   green   roof,   through 
whose  interstices  the  sunbeams  wrought  rainbows  on  glass 
and    silver    and    danced    among   the    brilliant    flowers;    the 
vine-clad    hillside,    the    massive    mountains,    the    orchards 
and  forest  trees,  the  plants  and  flowers  and  fountain,  the 
motionless  dogs  with  pleading  faces,  the  gorgeous  peacocks 
and   chickens    and   ducks,    a   speaking   picture   before    and 
around    them,    and    the    song    of    the    linnets,    the    splash 
and   gurgle   of   water,   the  hum   of   bees   and   the   call   of 
the   quail   enchanting   their   ears. 

There  was  but  little  conversation  until  the  dessert  of 
luscious  strawberries,  with  rich  cream,  had  been  disposed 
of;  they  were  drinking  their  cafe  noir  and  sipping  the 
delicious  orange  cordial. 

"  My  dear  Baron,"  exclaimed  Captain  Seymour,  leaning 
back  in  his  chair,  his  coat  thrown  back,  disclosing  a  wide 
expanse  of  white  duck  waistcoat,  "  how  very  fortunate  you 


RUHEPLATZ  107 

are  to  have  escaped  the  dissipation  of  that  gay  city,  the 
Austrian  Paris, —  where  the  nobility  from  every  kingdom 
and  the  children  of  wealth  and  mad  followers  of  joy  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  keep  the  wheels  of  society  always  turn 
ing  wildly,  and  where  the  senses  become  satiated  and  the 
digestion  gives  out, —  and  find  a  home  where  mind  and 
body  can  expand  in  a  glorious  climate,  among  beautiful 
surroundings,  and  the  appetite  so  keen,  and  such  a  wonder 
ful  larder  and  fine  cuisine." 

"  That  is  all  very  well  for  you  men  who  care  more 
for  the  bivouac  and  good  living  than  for  the  refined  en 
joyments  of  the  salon,"  said  Anna.  "  Freedom  from  social 
conventionalities  is  what  your  sex  delights  in.  But  how 
about  Madame  Municheisen?  Think  of  what  it  is  to  her 
to  be  exiled  from  beautiful  Vienna  and  its  brilliant  society, 
its  music  and  its  art.  Why,  I  would  be  homesick  just  to 
hear  Strauss'  orchestra  play  his  divine  waltzes." 

"  Indeed,  Miss  Anna,"  said  the  Madame,  "  you  are  mis 
taken,  if  you  think  that  we  are  less  happy  here  than  in  the 
gayeties  of  our  old  home.  Of  course,  I  love  it,  and  think 
of  it  and  its  charms  and  of  the  dear  friends  I  have  there, 
and  I  hope  to  see  it  again.  But  we  are  contented  and  more 
peaceful  here.  We  could  never  cherish  a  moment's  regret 
for  the  great  change,  as  it  brought  the  roses  to  the  cheeks 
and  health  and  strength  to  the  frame  of  our  dear  little 
girl,  for  whom  we  were  very  anxious.  I  am  sorry  she  is  not 
here  to-day,  she  is  very  fond  of  her  good  friends,  Miss 
Martha  and  Miss  Anna;  but  you  know  I  can  only  have 
her  Saturdays  and  Sundays,  the  good  Sisters  of  St.  Agnes, 
are  mother  and  teacher  to  her  the  rest  of  the  week." 

"  Yes,  the  little  witch  could  lead  her  willing  mother  and 
father  anywhere  in  the  world  she  wished,"  said  the  Baron. 
"  She  knows  it  too,  though  she  is  hot  capricious  enough 
to  take  undue  advantage  of  her  power." 

"  Little  Beatrice  has  quite  won  my  heart,"  said  Martha. 
"  She  is  a  fascinating  child,  and  I  love  to  have  her  with 
me,  and  I  wish  I  could  see  her  oftener.  By  the  way, 
Baron,  we  hope  some  evening  soon  to  have  a  little  musicale 
at  our  home,  and  we  count  on  the  presence  of  you  and 
Madame  Municheisen,  and  Beatrice  too,  it  will  do  her 
good.  We  can  arrange  for  you  all  to  spend  the  night  with 


108          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAE 

us,  without  inconvenience.  You  must  bring  your  violin- 
cello,  for  with  its  plaintive  strains,  our  concert  would  be 
sure  of  giving  pleasure." 

"We  certainly  will  come,  n'est-ce-pas,  Marie,  and  we 
thank  you,  Miss  Morgan,  for  numbering  us  country  swains 
among  your  privileged  guests.  I  am  glad  you  like  to  hear 
the  voice  of  my  dear  cello,  whose  complaining  notes  bear 
away  into  die  Feme  all  the  cares  and  worries  and  sadness 
that  must  sometimes  oppress  the  heart,  and  it  also  has  its 
merry  moods  and  can  blithely  accompany  my  Marie's  joyous 
runs  and  trills  when  she  is  in  a  merry  vein." 

"  My  goodness,  look  there,"  exclaimed  Anna,  as  she 
pointed  to  a  clump  of  trees,  "  see  the  grass  disappearing 
into  the  earth !  " 

Sure  enough,  the  remarkable  phenomenon  of  grass  grow 
ing  downwards  into  the  ground  presented  itself.  A  blade 
would  gradually  descend  until  it  had  disappeared,  and 
then  another  would  in  like  manner  vanish  before  the  won 
dering  gaze  of  the  young  ladies  and  Herman. 

"What  can  it  be?"  asked  Martha. 

"  Oh !  this  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  here,"  said 
Capt.  Seymour,  with  a  sly  glance  at  Madame  Municheisen, 
"  there  is  a  certain  species  of  grass  in  this  country,  called 
the  double-ender,  that  grows  at  both  ends.  One  end  will 
grow  up  to  a  certain  height  above  the  ground  until  it  en 
counters  some  subterranean  obstruction  which  will  give 
it  a  start  in  the  other  direction,  when  the  other  end 
will  start  growing,  as  it  does  so,  pulling  the  other  end 
down." 

"  Confound  those  gophers,  they  will  yet  carry  off  the 
whole  plantation,"  cried  the  Baron,  as  he  jumped  up  and 
ran  to  the  house,  reappearing  immediately  with  a  spade 
and  a  gopher  trap.  With  a  few  thrusts  of  the  spade  he 
uncovered  the  tunnel  of  the  destroyer  from  which  it  had 
been  having  a  more  innocent  feast  than  was  its  wont,  on 
the  tender  blades  of  grass,  drawing  them  down  into  his 
compartment. 

Anna  looked  disdainfully  at  Capt.  Seymour,  saying, 
"  Romancing  about  facts  is  a  more  unpardonable  habit  than 
serio-comic  use  of  poetry  in  small  talk." 

The  ladies   then   retired  to  the  house,   and   the   gentle- 


RUHEPLATZ  109 

men  remained  in  the  pavilion  lazily  smoking  their  pipes, 
filled  from  a  jar  of  the  Baron's  own  blending  of  choice 
varieties  of  the  weed. 

"  Baron/'  said  Herman,  "  have  you  ever  met  Mr.  Sigis- 
mund  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  he  comes  here  often  and  he  certainly 
furnishes  my  wife  and  me  no  end  of  entertainment  with 
his  jollity  and  queer  drollery,  his  fund  of  incidents  that 
must  have  been  from  his  own  life,  his  character  description 
and  mimicry  of  everyone  he  has  met,  his  musical  attain 
ments,  and  the  mystery  that  envelopes  his  antecedents,  as 
well  as  his  present  and  future  purposes.  This  much  we 
know,  that  he  was  with  Maximilian,  and  by  marvelous  de 
vices  and  dare-devil  pluck  escaped  from  the  Mexican 
soldiery  in  a  small  boat  sailed  by  himself." 

"  Do  you  think,"  said  Herman,  "  that  he  is  a  bad  man, 
that  he  has  something  to  conceal  of  his  past  career  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell,  and  it  cannot  be  read  in  his  face.  He 
is  never  serious  when  others  are  about;  he  seems  to  be 
long  more  to  the  nature  kingdom  than  to  the  human  race. 
And  yet  I  have  caught  on  his  features  when  he  was  un 
conscious  of  being  observed,  an  intense  wild  look  of  striving 
for  some  object  that  transformed  him  to  a  passionate  Faust. 
When  he  came  here  he  entered  into  partnership  with  a 
German,  who  had  a  small  hardware  and  tin  shop,  and  took 
hold  of  the  business  with  the  reckless  energy  that  char 
acterizes  everything  he  does,  and  as  you  know,  he  now  has 
an  establishment  not  unworthy  of  a  city  ten  times  the  size 
of  St.  Agnes." 

"  The  reason  I  made  the  enquiry,"  rejoined  Herman, 
"  is  that  he  is  one  of  the  greatest  puzzles  I  ever  tried  to 
solve.  I,  however,  shall  take  it  for  granted  that  he  is 
a  reputable  gentleman,  as  he  is  such  a  prince  of  good 
fellows." 

Just  then  the  Captain  and  Herman  caught  in  the  face  of 
the  Baron  who  was  looking  towards  the  road  an  expression 
of  annoyance,  and  instinctively  turned  their  eyes  to  where 
the  Baron  was  looking.  A  spring  wagon  had  just  come  in 
view,  containing  four  occupants.  On  the  front  seat,  next 
the  driver,  appeared  the  familiar  form  of  Major  Falcon, 
his  hair  and  whiskers  bris^'r.g  towards  the  four  points 


110  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL* 

of  the   compass,   and,   in  the   glare  of  the   afternoon  sun, 
flaming  like  a  red  calcium  light. 

On  the  rear  seat  was  a  lady,  apparently  of  about  forty- 
five  or  fifty,  and  a  young  man  of  twenty-five. 

The  Baron  stepped  out  to  meet  them,  as  they  drove  up 
opposite  the  pavilion.  Major  Falcon  sprang  from  the 
carriage,  and  as  he  assisted  the  lady  to  descend,  said, 
"  My  dear  Baron,  your  most  obedient.  Permit  me  to  pre 
sent  you  to  Mrs.  Stanley,  a  lady  of  wealth  and  standing 
from  New  York,  and  her  son,  Mr.  Walter  Stanley,  not 
long  since  graduate  from  Columbia  University.  Mrs. 
Stanley  this  is  Baron  Municheisen,  formerly  in  the  suite 
of  Francis  Joseph,  Emperor  of  Austria."  And  with  that 
the  Major  caught  his  great  moustache  between  his  lips, 
and  with  a  mighty  blast,  blew  it  out  in  a  fiery  fringe. 

Herman  and  the  Captain  saw  the  cold  smile  on  the  lady's 
face  and  the  half  concealed  sneer,  that  seemed  habitual,  on 
the  lips  of  the  young  man,  as  they  bowed  to  the  Baron. 

"Now,  my  dear  Baron,"  continued  the  Major,  "we  are 
very  late  and  cannot  expect  a  hot  repast,  but  I  know  that 
you  can  command  the  daintiest  of  cold  lunches  for  our 
little  party.  Why,  there  are  my  very  dear  friends,  Capt. 
Seymour  and  Mr.  Thomas:  delighted  to  see  you,  gentle 
men.  Let  me  introduce  you  to  Mrs.  Stanley  and  her  son, 
Walter  Stanley."  Then  catching  sight  of  Madame  Mun 
icheisen  and  the  two  young  ladies,  who  were  ready  to  re 
mount,  coming  out  of  the  house,  he  bowed  most  profoundly, 
exclaiming,  "  Why,  how  delightful,  there  are  the  charming 
Misses  Morgan,  the  daughters  of  my  most  dear  old  friend, 
Col.  Morgan,  and  also  our  worthy  hostess,  the  Baroness." 

The  Major  then  introduced,  with  effusion,  Mrs.  Stanley 
and  her  son  to  these  ladies. 

Mrs.  Stanley  said  to  the  Misses  Morgan  with  a  smile, 
"  I  am  very  pleased  to  meet  you,  and,  as  it  were,  by  chance 
and  without  formality.  I  have  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
your  father  which  I  intended  to  send  to  him,  but  which  I 
have  with  me  here  and  would  be  glad  if  you  would  hand  it 
to  him.  I  am  at  the  St.  Louis  Hotel,  with  my  son,  and  I 
would  be  very  happy  if  you  would  all  call  on  me." 

Mrs.  Stanley  was  a  tall,  graceful  and  very  handsome 
woman,  with  regular  features,  and  a  face  which  seemed 


RUHEPLATZ  ill 

to  quiver  at  intervals  with  smiles,  the  same  kind  of  smiles 
Herman  had  seen  engraved  on  the  face  of  a  pretty  French 
soubrette,  when  acting  the  part  of  a  marionnette;  with 
silvery  hair,  here  and  there  a  thread  of  fading  auburn,  curl 
ing  and  clinging  tightly  to  the  temples  as  if  clenching  them 
in  a  fit  of  temper,  and  massed  above  a  low  forehead;  her 
eyes  gray  and  cold,  but,  in  anger,  as  Herman  subsequently 
observed,  turning  almost  green  and  scintillating  with  white 
sparks.  A  peculiarity  of  her  face  made  it  remarkable, 
the  smiles  seemed  to  work  independently  of  the  expression  of 
the  eyes,  coming  and  going  the  same  in  repose  as  in  anger. 
She  seemed  to  glide  rather  than  walk,  and  her  manner  was 
soft  and  gentle  and  purring,  and  Herman  had  the  feeling 
that  claws  might  at  any  moment  dart  from  her  tapering 
fingers. 

Walter  Stanley  had  his  mother's  eyes  and  her  smile, 
which  came  less  often  to  ornament  a  hard  face.  The  lurk 
ing  sneer  about  his  mouth  was  generally  hidden  behind  a 
luxuriant  brown  moustache.  His  voice  was  refined,  but 
of  a  metallic  tone,  and  he  had  all  the  ease  of  manner  and 
address  of  a  well-bred  man  of  the  world.  Familiar  with 
the  conventional  gambits  of  society's  converse,  he  was  per 
fectly  at  home  with  the  ladies,  from  the  time  he  was  in 
troduced.  He  offered  his  assistance  as  the  ladies  mounted, 
and  Anna  was  quite  taken  with  the  graceful  way  in  which 
he  picked  up  and  handed  to  her  her  glove  she  had  dropped. 

The  horse-back  party  returned  to  St.  Agnes  by  the  ocean 
road.  As  the  tide  was  low,  they  had  a  ten  miles'  ride  along 
the  smooth,  gently  sloping  strand;  the  breakers,  with  a 
gentle  throb,  turning  into  a  swaying  border  of  foam,  draw 
ing  up  to  and  bathing  the  outlying  rocks  of  the  points  that 
jutted  out  and  marked  the  long  curves  that  made  so  beauti 
ful  the  St.  Agnes  beach.  The  ocean,  as  quiet  as  a  mill 
pond,  was  of  a  dull  blue  tint,  and  the  pink  band  of  sea 
weed  that  divided  the  shore  from  the  Islands,  stood  up  as 
though  embossed  upon  the  waters.  A  bank  of  fog  was 
piled  above  the  island-peaks,  and  a  cool  fresh  breeze  gave 
life  to  the  air. 

Anna  and  the  Captain  had  forgotten  their  tilts,  al 
though  the  Captain  chafed  a  little  under  Anna's  praises 
of  Walter  Stanley. 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Martha  and  Herman  were  more  talkative  than  in  the 
morning,  discussing  the  incidents  of  the  day  and  the  people 
they  had  met. 

"  I  shall  never  feel  at  ease  with  Mrs.  Stanley/'  said 
Martha. 

"  And  I  could  never  make  a  companion  of  Walter 
Stanley,"  replied  Herman. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  OLD  TRAPPER  AND  DOMINGO  ORTEGA' 

THE  law  practice  of  Herman,  while  it  actually  occupied  not 
half  of  his  time,  was  of  an  interesting  character,  and  was 
slowly  assuming  fair  proportions.  Fees  were  mostly  con 
tingent,  but  the  cash  returns  were  sufficient  to  enable  him 
to  live  comfortably,  and,  compared  with  what  other  towns 
of  much  larger  population  afforded,  most  luxuriously,  and 
to  hold  his  own  among  his  companions.  He  had  many 
leisure  moments  in  which  to  play  and  dream,  and  his  mind, 
to  his  worldly  disadvantage,  kept  running  away  from  pro 
fessional  problems  and  employment  into  the  realms  of 
romance.  Indeed,  his  practice,  which  took  him  from  place 
to  place,  and  kept  him,  much  of  the  time,  in  the  saddle, 
offered  the  chance  and  enticed  the  thoughts  to  wander  among 
the  creations  of  the  fancy.  He  seemed,  however,  never 
to  have  energy  to  engage  in  any  intellectual  work,  except 
the  odds  and  ends  that  circumstances  drew  from  his  pen, 
which  all  met  favor  with  those  who  read  them.  From 
the  friends  who  were  his  counselors  and  had  at  heart  his 
success  he  received  no  encouragement  in  this  devoting  of 
his  time  and  thought  to  literary  pursuits. 

The  case  of  Senora  Valenzuela  interested  him  greatly, 
and  was  frequently  in  his  mind.  It  had  in  it  the  element  of 
romance,  and  demanded  the  exercise  of  wit  and  shrewdness, 
skillful  tactics,  diplomacy  and  energy.  He  hardly  knew 
what  step  to  take  first.  He  had  examined  the  records  and 
found  that  the  history  of  the  title  given  him  by  Father 
Aloysius,  as  it  had  been  presented  to  him,  was  not  com 
pletely  accurate  in  this;  there  was  an  additional  owner  not 
named  by  him.  By  way  of  compromise  with  an  old  major 
domo  of  the  original  grantee  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho, 
named  Domingo  Ortega,  who  claimed  a  gift  of  an  interest 
in  the  property,  a  tract  of  a  thousand  acres  had  been  con- 

113 


114          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

veyed  and  set  off  to  him.  It  had  little  present  value  and 
its  segregation  from  the  body  of  the  rancho  made  slight 
difference  to  it.  He  had  carefully  searched  the  pigeon-holes 
of  the  recorder's  office  in  the  hope,  that  proved  vain,  of 
finding  the  original  of  the  deed  which  it  was  claimed  Don 
Jose  had  made  to  the  Company. 

It  was  no  easy  problem  how  to  commence  his  campaign 
against  these  cunning  and  unscrupulous  parties.  One  day, 
as  he  strolled  down  to  the  beach,  where  he  was  accus 
tomed  to  walk  and  think,  when  he  had  some  problem  to  solve 
or  some  dream  to  indulge  in,  his  mind  strained  to  the  utmost 
to  know  how  to  proceed,  he  was  startled  from  his  revery 
by  someone  calling  to  him,  "  Helloa,  boy,  where  are  you 
going?  Get  in  and  ride."  Looking  up,  he  found  that  Dr. 
Vanderpool  had  driven  up  alongside  him  in  his  buggy,  which 
was  constructed  as  nearly  like  an  old-fashioned  doctor's 
gig  as  the  roads  and  climate  admitted.  Without  hesita 
tion,  as  if  obeying  a  command,  Herman  stepped  into  the 
comfortable  conveyance.  The  Doctor  chirruped  to  his  raw- 
boned,  well-kept  steed,  at  the  same  time  slapping  his 
back  with  the  reins.  In  fact  it  was  his  habit  to  talk  to  the 
beast  when  not  conversing  with  a  companion,  and  beat  upon 
his  long  back  a  continuous  tattoo  with  the  reins;  he  never 
used  the  whip,  except  in  case  of  an  emergency. 

"  Anything  new  ?  Going  for  a  walk  ?  You  looked  down ; 
thought  you  needed  cheering  up.  Am  just  going  to  make 
a  call  on  a  dying  man,  an  old  trapper,  quite  interesting; 
thought  you  might  like  to  come  along,  it  will  brighten  you 
up,  and  then  we  will  take  a  drive  to  the  Monte  to  see 
an  old  native  Californian  who  can't  live  long." 

''  I  fear,  Doctor,"  laughed  Herman,  "  although  you  are 
a  loyal  orthodox  disciple  of  the  old  school,  that  when  it 
comes  to  mental  maladies  you  believe  in  the  homeopathic 
doctrine  of  similia  similibus  curantur.  What  is  the  matter 
with  the  old  trapper?" 

"  Disease  of  the  kidneys.  He  only  has  one,  the  other 
an  Indian  got  away  with  while  he  was  setting  a  trap. 
The  old  man  didn't  exactly  blame  him,  as  he  himself  had 
shot  a  number  of  his  tribe  he  thought  stole  his  furs.  He 
regarded  it  as  the  bite  of  a  wild  beast.  He  treated  the 
race  just  like  coyotes;  took  a  crack  at  any  stray  one  he 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER  115 

saw;  has  been  a  pretty  tough  customer  in  his  day.  He  is 
a  mighty  good  poker  player,  or  was,  for  he'll  never  play 
again.  He  always  plays  a  square  game  and  so  does  every 
body  that  plays  with  him,,  as  he  carries  in  his  belt,  what 
ever  he  is  doing,  a  long  army  revolver  that  has  a  reputa 
tion  the  boys  are  acquainted  with." 

The  Doctor  drew  up  in  front  of  a  gate  in  a  pole  fence 
which  surrounded  an  orange  and  olive  grove,  with  a  sprink 
ling  of  fig  trees  and  grape-vines,  in  the  rear  of  which  was 
a  long  adobe  house,  with  a  corridor,  pained  white,  running 
its  length.  Everything  had  a  neat,  trig  look  about  it.  He 
got  out,  anchored  his  horse  with  a  stout  cable  to  a  pepper 
tree,  and  told  Herman  to  "  Come  on,  the  old  man  and 
women  will  be  glad  to  see  you,  it's  the  next  thing  to  a  call 
from  the  scissors-grinder." 

As  they  walked  up  the  path,  there  were  seated  on  the 
porch  on  old  woman  in  a  black  dress  with  a  red  shawl 
draped  around  the  upper  part  of  her  person  so  as  to  make 
a  waist;  her  long,  straight,  black  hair,  with  not  a  thread  of 
gray  in  it,  hanging  around  her  face  down  over  her  shoulders ; 
and  three  young  girls,  the  oldest  about  twenty  and  the 
youngest  sixteen,  tall  handsome  brunettes,  bearing  a  striking 
likeness  the  one  to  the  other,  and  each  with  a  gypsy-like 
expression  of  face,  which  was  less  pronounced  than  that  en 
graved  on  the  old  woman's  features,  but  disclosing  the  fact 
that  they  were  her  daughters.  They  arose  as  the  gentle 
men  drew  near. 

"  Buenos  dios,  Senor  Doctor/'  said  the  young  ladies. 
"  Ah,  medico  mio,  como  va?  Siempre  diablo,  no? "  the 
old  woman  said,  holding  out  her  hand  and  shaking  her 
head. 

"  Helloa,  girls,  anything  new  ?  Well,  old  lady,  how's 
your  temper  to-day?  This  is  my  friend,  Mr.  Thomas,  a 
new  abogado.  Don't  look  cross,  old  woman,  he  hasn't  come 
to  St.  Agnes  to  rob  the  natives,  but  to  marry  one  of  them. 
How's  the  old  man  to-day  ?  " 

"  He  is  very  weak,  Doctor,"  said  the  eldest  daughter, 
"  and  very  restless.  He  has  a  great  fear  of  dying,  that 
is  to  say,  the  physical  struggle  of  dying." 

"  Come  on,  boy,"  said  the  Doctor,  and  he  walked  into  the 
house,  followed  by  Herman,  through  the  living-room,  into 


116          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the  bedroom  beyond,  his  hat  on,  shaking  his  glove  in  his 
left  hand  and  twisting  his  beard  with  the  other. 

"  Helloa,  boy,  how  are  you  ?  Anything  new  ?  "  he  said, 
as  he  approached  the  bed  where  his  patient  was  lying,  a 
rawboned,  weather-beaten,  sharp-featured  old  man  with 
white  hair  straggling  out  upon  the  pillow,  and  keen  rest 
less  eyes.  He  had  just  been  shaved,  the  barber  having 
passed  out  of  the  room  as  they  went  in,  which  made  his 
face  deathlike. 

"  Very  bad,  Doc,  I'm  no  good  any  more ;  I  guess  the 
game's  up  with  me." 

"Humph!  ejaculated  the  Doctor  as  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  felt  the  old  man's  pulse. 

"  Pretty  weak,  Captain,  I'll  have  to  brace  you  up.  While 
I  am  mixing  the  drink,  you  can  tell  this  young  man  the 
business  you  want  done.  He  hasn't  been  here  long  enough 
to  be  up  to  the  tricks  of  the  old  lawyers." 

"  Infernal  thieves,"  muttered  the  old  man.  "  I  have 
very  little  business.  The  Doctor  tells  me  I'll  pretty  soon 
have  to  pass  in  my  checks,  and  I  want  to  make  my  will. 
You'll  find  a  piece  of  paper  on  the  table  there,  and  pen 
and  ink  and  a  ten  dollar  gold  piece,  I  guess  that's  enough, 
for  the  paper  will  be  short  enough.  My  name  is  Bill  Gibbs, 
my  wife's  name  is  Maria,  and  my  daughters,  Ysabel, 
Teresa  and  Juana.  I  want  the  old  woman  to  have  half  the 
income  of  all  my  property  as  long  as  she  lives,  and  my 
girls  the  other  half,  and  the  whole  thing  when  their 
mother  dies." 

While  Herman  hurriedly  drafted  the  will,  which  was 
afterwards  signed  by  the  testator  and  witnessed  by  the 
Doctor  and  Herman,  and  taken  by  the  former  for  safe 
keeping,  the  Doctor  finished  brewing  his  mixture,  and  ad 
ministered  a  dose  to  the  patient.  It  seemed  presently  to 
give  him  a  little  strength  and  to  soothe  him  somewhat. 

"  Doc/'  said  he,  "  I've  been  in  mighty  .tight  places  in 
my  lifetime;  more  than  once  I've  been  nearly  chewed  up 
with  wild  animals,  and  I've  looked  down  the  muzzle  of  a 
good  many  ugly  guns,  and  I  never  felt  afraid  of  death, 
and  I  don't  know  why  I  should  take  water  now.  I  suppose 
it  is  because  it  ain't  sudden,  but  comes  loafing  along,  taking 
its  time  to  it,  and  at  the  same  time  letting  you  know  that 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER  117 

he'll  soon  have  his  grip  on  you.  I  don't  want  to  go  fight 
ing  and  struggling  and  strangling  for  breath  into  some  sort 
of  a  camping  place  I  don't  know  nothing  about.  It  keeps 
fretting  and  galling  me.  What  can  I  do,  Doc  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,  my  boy/'  said  the  Doctor,  "  I'll  make  it 
pass  off  nice  and  comfortable." 

"  Doc,  just  take  out  that  belt  under  my  pillow  and  get  out 
a  twenty.  I  want  you  to  give  that  to  Chico  Cordero's  old 
woman.  I  hear  they  have  a  house  full  of  sick  children. 
I  think  Chico's  dropped  that  much  with  me  playing  poker." 

"  Good-by,  my  boy,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  that  drink  will 
soon  put  you  to  sleep,  and  I'll  be  back  to  see  you  in  a  couple 
of  hours.  Don't  worry,  I'll  make  it  pleasant  for  you." 
And  he  and  Herman  departed,  saying  good-bye  to  the 
ladies  as  they  passed  out. 

"  Humph !  "  grunted  the  Doctor,  as  he  glided  by  a  side 
ways  motion  into  the  buggy  and  Herman  stepped  in  on  the 
other  side,  "the  old  coon  knows  what  he's  about;  that  old 
woman  will  live  ten  years  longer,  and  she  will  hang  on  to 
every  inch  of  property  till  she  dies;  so  the  girls  and  any 
worthless  husband  can't  blow  it  in.  Now,  we  will  go  see 
my  old  friend,  Domingo  Ortega." 

"  Domingo  Ortega !  "  exclaimed  Herman.  "  Does  he 
own  a  portion  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  only  part  of  the  rancho  that  those  thiev 
ing  legal  sharps,  Barter  &  Brooks,  did  not  get  their  claws 
on,  and  I  am  the  one  that  balked  them  in  that,  and  they  don't 
know  it." 

Herman  said  nothing  further  at  the  time,  but  saw  ahead 
of  him  an  opening  in  the  clouds  surrounding  the  Valenzuela 
case. 

The  Monte  is  a  picturesque  wooded  valley  adjoining  St. 
Agnes  on  the  East,  with  the  mountains  on  one  side  and 
the  ocean  on  the  other.  As  they  drove  through  a  grove  of 
oaks,  a  hawk  circled  above  them  and  darting  down  suddenly, 
seized  and  carried  off  a  quail. 

"  A  fine  fellow  is  a  hawk,"  exclaimed  the  Doctor.  "  He's 
a  much  nobler  bird  than  the  eagle.  He  earns  his  living. 
He  gets  up  in  the  morning,  and  hunts  around  and  captures 
his  little  breakfast,  and  he's  entitled  to  it.  The  eagle  lets 
someone  else  do  the  hard  work  and  get  the  prey,  then 


118          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

he  steals  it  from  him.     Give  me  the  hawk  all  the  time." 

They  stopped  at  a  little  board  shanty,  under  a  magnifi 
cent,  wide-spreading  live-oak,  one  of  a  settlement  of  poor 
looking  houses,  with  unkempt  surrounding,  swarming  with 
half-breed  native  Calif ornians,  men  and  women  and  scantily- 
clothed  children. 

"  Que  ay,  Doctor!  Que  ay,  Doctor! "  came  from  a 
number  of  voices,  and  a  little  band  of  urchins  surrounded 
the  buggy,  and  one  of  the  larger  ones  took  out  the  rope  and 
tied  the  horse. 

"  Helloa,  chiqmtos,  como  va?  "  said  the  Doctor,  whacking 
those  he  could  reach  over  the  ears  with  his  glove.  Then 
beckoning  to  Herman,  he  walked  up  a  few  steep  steps  to 
the  porch,  where  sat  in  an  armchair  a  battered,  grizzled  old 
native,  with  a  copper-colored  complexion,  and  a  bandana 
handkerchief  wrapped  around  his  head  like  an  old  negro's 
turban. 

"  Helloa,  Domingo,  como  esta,  que  ai  de  nuevo?  "  said  the 
Doctor  to  the  old  man. 

"  Asi,  asi,  no  mas.  What  should  I  know  new,  except 
what  these  lying  paisanos  tell  me,  and  half  of  that  they 
make  up.  And  what  do  I  care  about  new  things?  I  am 
old  enough  myself,  and  if  I  can  keep  the  old  things  I  have 
until  I  die,  which  you  tell  me  will  be  in  a  very  little  time,  it 
is  all  I  want.  Is  this  young  man  your  friend?  " 

"  Yes,  this  is  my  friend,  Sefior  Thomas,  a  very  good 
lawyer  and  a  friend  of  the  genie  del  pais," 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Sefior  Thomas.  It  is  well  you 
brought  Mr.  Thomas,  Doctor,  as  he  can  draw  up  a  paper 
for  us.  I  want  to  settle  that  business  we  talked  of.  I 
know,  as  well  as  you  do,  that  I  will  soon  be  traveling  to 
Padre  James'  graveyard,  and  there  isn't  any  temptation  to 
you  to  hurry  up  my  going,  so  I  want  to  settle  things  and 
give  you  that  deed,  and  then  I  can  smoke  my  cigarittos  in 
peace  and  wait  the  Lord's  will."  This  the  old  man  said 
as  he  deftly  rolled  and  filled  a  cigaritto,  first  for  the  Doctor, 
then  for  Herman,  and  lastly  for  himself. 

"  Have  you  anything  to  write  with,  boy?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  Herman,  "  in  this  country  a  lawyer, 
like  a  Doctor,  has  to  carry  his  tools  with  him  wherever  he 
goes." 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER  119 

While  Herman  was  getting  out  his  gold  pen,  pocket  ink 
stand  and  paper,  and  preparing  to  write  on  the  rail  of  the 
porch  what  was  required,  the  Doctor  inspected  Domingo 
professionally,  and  filled  a  mental  prescription  for  him 
from  his  medicine  wallet.  After  this  was  done,  and  the 
old  man,  by  his  voice,  which  had  lost  little  of  its  gruffness, 
and  forcible  gestures,  had  driven  away  the  youngster,  he 
turned  to  Herman,  and  said: 

"  Make  a  deed  from  me  to  Dr.  Vanderpool  of  all  my  in 
terest  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho,  upon  his  agreeing  to  give 
my  wife  fifteen  dollars  a  month  as  long  as  she  lives,  and 
pay  the  little  taxes  there  are  on  our  house  and  lot  here." 

The  document  was  soon  prepared  and  signed  by  Domingo, 
by  making  his  mark,  and  witnessed  by  Herman,  who,  being 
a  notary  public,  took  the  acknowledgment,  and  gave  the 
instrument  to  the  old  man.  He  handed  it  to  Dr.  Vander 
pool,  saying: 

"  There,  compadre,  you  have  my  rancho,  and  my  mujer 
has  enough  to  keep  her  for  life."  He  then  called  out, 
"  Felicidad !  Felicidad !  come  here." 

A  thin,  wrinkled-up  little  woman  came  out  and  shook 
hands  with  the  Doctor  and  Herman  and  then  went  and 
stood  by  the  old  man,  quietly  awaiting  orders. 

"  Felicidad,  bring  me  my  titulos." 

She  went  into  the  house  and  returned  with  a  time- 
stained  little  packet  of  papers. 

"  Senor  Abogado,"  said  Domingo,  "  look  among  the 
papers,  and  you  will  find  the  title  deed  of  this  house  and  lot; 
make  another  deed  of  this  to  Felicidad  Ortega,  my  wife,  and 
bring  it  to  me;  the  Doctor  will  drive  you  out,  and  I  will 
sign  it,  and  you  can  then  give  it  to  her  when  I  die."  Then 
turning  to  his  wife,  with  a  look  of  affection,  in  spite  of  the 
stern  demeanor  he  evidently  sought  to  maintain,  and  soft 
ening  his  features,  he  said: 

"  Felicidad,  the  rancho  is  now  the  Doctor's,  but  he  will 
give  you  every  month,  as  long  as  you  live,  enough  to  keep 
you  and  let  you  have  really  more  comforts  than  you  have 
been  accustomed  to.  Everything  else  that  I  have  is  yours," 
waving  his  hand  around,  "  the  house  and  ground,  the  horse 
and  cow  and  ducks  and  chickens  all  belong  to  you." 

Just  then  a  beautifully  marked,  thoroughbred  game-cock 


120          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

strutted  out  from  the  house,  followed  by  two  hens,  and 
they  stood  by  the  old  man's  chair,  looking  at  him  with 
heads  cocked  one  side.  He  gave  them  a  quick  glance  of 
pleasure,  and  fumbling  in  his  pocket,  produced  a  piece  of 
dry  tortillo,  which  he  crumbled  in  his  hand  and  held  out  to 
them,  and  they  ate  it  without  a  sign  of  trepidation. 

"  No,  not  everything,  Felicidad,"  he  continued,  "  the  Doc 
tor  must  have  my  game  chickens.  You  will  take  good  care 
of  them,  Doctor,  and  never  let  the  breed  run  out.  You 
have  always  staked  your  money  on  them,  and  you  know 
how  seldom  you  lost.  I  know  that  you  won't  give  any  away 
to  old  gachupinos  who  are  always  trying  to  get  hold  of 
them,  or  any  of  these  gringos,  that  try  to  be  paisanos. 
You  remember  how  you  taught  me  to  brand  them  with  a 
fine  shot  in  the  left  leg,  so  that  you  could  always  tell  by 
feeling  the  cock  we  were  fighting  against,  whether  he  was 
one  of  my  breed  which  had  been  stolen.  I'll  be  glad  to  think 
that  when  I  go,  these,  my  friends,  will  fare  well,  who  have 
helped  us  live  when  the  years  were  dry,  and,  except  for 
whom,  there  would  have  been  no  flour  or  beans  or  tobacco 
in  the  house,  and  no  money  to  buy  them  with.  Hasta 
lluego,  mi  amigo  Doctor  j  hasta  lluego  Senor  Abogado/'  and 
the  old  man  sank  back  in  his  chair,  looking  very  sad  and 
weak  and  tired." 

Herman  was  quite  touched  with  what  took  place,  and 
it  saddened  his  thoughts.  He  contrasted  the  two  sick-bed 
scenes,  so  different,  yet  in  each  appearing  the  refining  spirit 
of  approaching  death,  softening  the  rough  nature  to  child 
like  gentleness. 


DOMINGO  ORTEGA  AND  HIS  PETS 


CHAPTER  XIII 

DOCTOR    VANDERPOOL    AND    HIS    POISONS 

FROM  what  Herman  had  seen  of  Dr.  Vanderpool,  he  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a  very  discreet  and  close- 
mouthed  man,  and  that  he  would  keep  inviolate  any  confi 
dence  reposed  in  him.  So  far  as  the  practice  of  his  pro 
fession  was  concerned,  he  was  one  of  those  old-fashioned 
physicians,  so  different  from  many  of  our  modern  practi 
tioners,  who  regarded  the  information  he  necessarily  ob 
tained  in  the  treatment  of  a  patient  as  sacred  as  the  dis 
closures  made  to  a  priest  in  the  confessional.  The  same 
discretion  marked  his  business  and  social  life.  Herman 
therefore  felt  that  he  could  take  him  into  his  confidence  in 
the  Valenzuela  case,  especially  as  he  had  so  outspokenly 
denounced  the  lawyers  who  had  evidently  perpetrated  a 
swindle  upon  Jose  and  Antonio  Castanos.  Besides,  his 
having  himself  become  an  owner  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho, 
with  his  consent,  he  could  act  directly  for  him,  thus  disarm 
ing  suspicion  as  to  his  being  the  attorney  for  Sefiora  Valen 
zuela.  Herman,  therefore,  determined  to  broach  the  mat 
ter  to  him  upon  the  first  opportunity.  This  occurred  a  few 
days  afterwards  when  the  Doctor  offered  to  drive  him  to 
El  Monte,  to  procure  the  signature  of  Don  Domingo  to  the 
deed  to  his  wife.  As  they  drove  along,  Herman  told  the 
Doctor  that  he  intended  to  try  to  rescue  to  Sefiora  Valenzuela 
and  her  daughter  the  property  which  had  all  the  appearances 
of  having  been  criminally  wrested  from  Jose  Castanos ;  that 
it  was  of  grave  importance  that  this  should  not  be  known  to 
the  public;  that  it  was  a  great  gratification  to  him  that  he, 
the  Doctor,  understood  the  character  of  the  lawyers,  who 
he  believed  were  the  heartless  perpetrators  of  a  fraud  upon 
these  poor  people,  and  that  a  portion  of  the  rancho  had 
come  into  his  hands,  and  he  asked  him  if  he  would  not  let 
it  appear  publicly  that  he,  Herman,  was  his  attorney  in 
reference  to  matters  concerning  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho. 

121 


122          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Humph,  my  boy/'  said  the  Doctor,  "  you  need  not 
simply  play  the  part  of  my  attorney.  I  intended  to  retain 
you  to  perfect  the  title  to  the  rancho,  by  procuring  a  patent 
from  the  United  States,  so  that  you  can  conscientiously  rep 
resent  yourself  as  my  lawyer.  Barter  &  Brooks  —  although 
the  part  of  the  rancho  I  now  own  is  in  no  ways  essential  to 
the  completeness  of  their  tract  —  with  their  greed,  which  lets 
nothing  escape  them,  are  still  planning  to  capture  it,  and  it 
will  be  a  bitter  pill  to  them  when  they  learn  that  it  has 
gotten  into  my  hands.  They  ha\t  been  putting  off  apply 
ing  for  a  U.  S.  patent  in  the  hope  of  persuading  Domingo 
to  enter  into  an  agreement  with  them  to  pay  them  a  por 
tion  of  the  costs  and  fees,  which  they  would  build  up  to 
a  figure  sufficient  to  eat  up  the  property  itself.  When 
they  find  out  that  I  have  acquired  Domingo's  piece,  and 
that  you  are  my  attorney,  they  will,  even  if  they  do  not 
press  it,  throw  no  obstacles  in  the  way  of  obtaining  a  patent. 
They  will  not  risk  having  their  title  remain  without  final 
ratification  by  the  Government.  You  will  have  no  diffi 
culty,  acting  through  your  Eastern  correspondents,  aided 
by  my  friends  in  Washington,  in  obtaining  early  action  by 
the  land  department.  Now,  my  boy,  since  you  are  my  at 
torney,  I'll  tell  you  in  confidence;  the  Domingo  Ortega  tract 
is  the  most  valuable  part,  by  far,  of  the  whole  rancho. 
Oil,  my  boy,  and  quicksilver,  and  a  valuable  medicinal 
spring.  Barter  &  Brooks  don't  know  this,  though  one 
would  think  they  had  some  idea  of  its  value,  the  way  they 
are  trying  to  grab  it." 

This  sent  up  Herman's  spirits,  and  for  the  first  time  since 
he  consented  to  act  for  Senora  Valenzuela,  did  an  unquali 
fied  feeling  of  confidence  of  success  come  into  his  heart. 

He  thanked  Dr.  Vanderpool  warmly,  and  told  him  that 
he  could  command  his  best  effort  in  anything  that  he  could 
do  to  protect  or  promote  his  interests. 

Upon  returning  to  St.  Agnes,  the  Doctor  drove  directly 
to  his  office.  It  was,  with  his  sleeping  apartment,  in  one 
of  the  ancient  adobe  houses  near  the  ruins  of  the  old 
presidio,  established  when  St.  Agnes  was  founded  a  hun 
dred  and  twenty  years  ago.  Portions  of  the  old  adobe 
barracks  and  appurtenant  buildings  and  the  old  tile-roofed 
walls  were  then  standing,  and  were  to  Herman  objects 


DR.  VANDERPOOL  123 

of  romantic  interest.  The  house  belonged  to  a  native  Cali- 
fornian  woman  who  had  married  an  American,  and  they 
looked  after  the  Doctor's  creature  comforts,  preparing  his 
breakfast  and  attending  to  his  wardrobe  and  laundry.  The 
front  of  the  building,  located  without  reference  to  street 
lines,  faced  the  Mesa,  and  the  side  was  a  little  distance 
from  the  traveled  thoroughfare  that  ran  by  it,  and  you 
approached  the  office  from  the  gate  in  a  wicket  fence  by  a 
straggling  pathway  around  to  the  front,  and  entered,  on  the 
bias,  in  the  same  way  the  Doctor  glided  into  his  buggy. 
You  went  from  the  corridor  into  the  office  and  from  there 
into  the  bedroom  which  he  used,  when  privacy  was  re 
quired,  as  a  consulting,  and  sometimes  operating,  room. 
As  one  looked  around  the  Doctor's  quarters,  he  would  soon 
discover  that  he  was  a  thorough  democrat,  and  whether  by 
nature  he  was  fond  of  melody  and  cared  little  for  harmony, 
or  by  reason  of  his  association  with  representatives  of  all 
classes  of  people,  in  the  display  of  his  belongings,  he  scat 
tered  helter-skelter  around  the  office  the  most  choice  pieces 
of  bric-a-brac  and  works  of  art  and  uncouth  things  in 
cident  to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  cheap  articles 
of  convenience;  seeming  to  think  that  it  made  no  difference 
what  company  his  valuable  pictures  and  ornaments  kept. 
In  the  office  were  a  set  of  fine  engravings  of  Hogarth's  pic 
tures,  intermingled  with  anatomical  plates  and  physiological 
diagrams;  and  rare  bronzes  and  dainty  bits  of  exquisite 
china  rubbed  elbows  with  linen  bandages,  stray  surgical 
instruments  and  a  pill-making  machine  and  jars  containing 
in  pickle  parts  of  the  human  anatomy  the  Doctor  had 
severed  from  the  interiors  of  his  patients.  In  one  corner 
was  a  medicine  cabinet  with  an  array  of  bottles  and  vials 
and  ointment  jars.  In  another  were  some  hooks  from  which 
were  suspended  a  skeleton,  a  linen  duster,  a  couple  of 
hats,  and  leggings  and  sundry  other  articles  of  common 
use. 

The  bedroom  was  furnished  with  a  great  four-poster 
mahogany  bed,  a  lounge,  a  number  of  easy-chairs,  a  hand 
some  dressing-table,  with  a  great  gilt-framed  mirror,  and 
the  walls  were  hung  with  pictures  of  famous  female  singers 
and  actresses. 

"  Sit  down,  my  boy,"  said  the  Doctor,  as  he  removed  a 


124          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

stomach-pump  from  a  chair  and  put  it  on  the  window-sill, 
next  to  one  of  Rodger's  statuettes.  He  then  went  to  the 
cabinet  and  took  out  a  tincture  bottle  labeled  spiritus 
frumenti,  and  a  graduate  glass,,  taking  care  to  turn  away 
from  him  the  side  that  registered  the  quantity.  He  then 
tempered  the  spirits  with  a  dash  from  another  bottle  labeled 
agua  fontana,  which  he  tendered  to  his  guest  who  was  more 
indulgent  with  the  latter  fluid  than  his  host. 

"  Here's  success  to  your  efforts,  my  boy,  and  damnation 
to  Barter  &  Brooks." 

"  Thanks,  Doctor,  and  here's  a  fortune  to  you  from  the 
oil  and  quicksilver  and  mineral  water  stored  in  El  Roblar 
Vie  jo,  and,"  taking  a  draught,  "  if  the  oil  is  of  the  fine 
ness  in  gravity  as  this  old  Bourbon,  and  mother  earth  is 
as  liberal  a  dispenser  as  my  worthy  host,  you  need  only 
get  enough  from  the  quicksilver  beds  and  medicinal  springs 
to  regulate  the  livers  of  your  patients,  for  the  oil  will 
bring  all  the  wealth  you  can  desire." 

"  Humph !     My  own  opinion,"  said  the  Doctor. 

After  having  rinsed  the  glasses  with  water  from 
the  agua  fontana  bottle,  he  restored  them  to  their  place, 
and  was  about  to  close  the  cabinet,  when  there  appeared  in 
the  doorway  a  little  boy  and  girl,  with  dark  complexions, 
straight,  black  hair,  big  black  eyes  and  snow-white  teeth, 
showing  through  their  laughing  mouths;  neatly  dressed, 
evidently  out  of  remnants  of  their  parents'  worn-out  ward 
robe  —  the  boy  with  a  thread-bare  brown  plush  suit  of  home 
made,  the  girl  in  an  old  print  dress  —  and  both  with  stock 
ings  and  shoes  in  good  condition.  (Herman  had  noticed 
that  there  were  scarcely  any  barelegged,  barefooted  chil 
dren  among  the  natives.  However  poor  the  parents  might 
be,  they  managed  some  way  to  clothe  the  legs  and  feet 
of  their  children.  The  idea  of  exposing  the  extremities  of 
their  youngsters  to  poisonous  creatures  and  plants  and  to 
the  dangers  from  sharp  stones  and  bones  and  cactus  and  the 
like,  to  say  nothing  of  impairing  the  shape  of  what  they 
were  most  proud  of,  their  beautiful,  delicately  formed 
and  aristocratic-looking  feet,  brought  a  paroxysm  to  the 
maternal  heart  and  a  shudder  to  the  frame.)  The  boy 
had  in  his  hand  a  bunch  of  fresh  mint,  and  the  girl  carried 
an  Indian  basket  in  which  were  a  half-dozen  lemons. 


DR.  VANDERPOOL  125 

"  Buenos  dios,  Senor  Medico;  we  have  brought  jyou 
something  to  make  medicine  with." 

"  Humph,  you  little  rascals,  who  told  you  they  were  to 
make  medicine  with  ?  " 

"  We  asked  Mamma  what  you  did  with  them,  and  she 
said  that  you  made  strong  medicine  for  yourself,  a  differ 
ent  kind  from  what  you  gave  other  people." 

"  She  did,  did  she  ?  I'll  put  an  extra  pinch  of  calomel 
in  the  next  dose  I  give  her,  and  she  can  find  out  which  is 
the  stronger." 

The  Doctor  took  the  medicants,  put  the  mint  in  the 
Bohemian  tumbler  with  some  agua  fontana  and  threw  the 
lemons  into  an  Indian  mortar,  returned  the  basket  and 
gave  a  dime  to  each,  saying,  "  vamos." 

They,  however,  did  not  obey  the  direction  to  "  vamos" 
but  grinned,  looked  at  the  Doctor  and  at  each  other,  shuffled 
their  feet  and  showed  no  inclination  to  go  away. 

"  What  are  you  waiting  for,  you  scamps  ?  off  with  you." 

"  Pilon,"  they   both   ej  aculated,   and  grinned. 

"  Pilon,  humph,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  I  gave  you  ten 
cents  apiece,  that's  enough  pilon.  You  never  get  a  pilon 
when  you  sell  things,  it  is  only  when  you  buy  them." 

The  children  only  stood  and  grinned. 

"  Look  at  the  Indian  stubbornness  of  these  natives," 
the  Doctor  said  to  Herman.  "  A  pilon  or  tip  is  expected 
and  demanded  with  everything  they  buy  and  they  will  wait 
half  a  day  to  get  it.  You  notice,  and  you  will  never  see 
one  of  them  coming  out  of  a  shop  with  a  bundle  but  he 
has  something  he  is  eating,  fruit,  or  candy,  or  dates; 
that  is  the  pilon." 

"  I  think  it  a  very  pretty  custom  and  one  apt  to  take 
the  hard  edges  off  a  Yankee  trader,  and  to  inspire  a  sort 
of  family  feeling  between  the  shop-keepers  and  their  cus 
tomers." 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Doctor  surrendered,  as  the  young 
sters  anticipated,  took  from  his  cabinet  a  glass  jar  bearing 
a  flaming  label  on  which  appeared  "  Arsenic  —  Poison." 
and  a  great  skull  and  crossbones  underneath,  and  ex 
tracted  from  it  a  handful  of  old-fashioned  candies,  mint 
drops,  lemon  drops  and  sugar-coated  almonds,  gave  each 
a  portion  and  wheeling  them  around  by  the  ear,  gave  them 


126  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

a  shove  through  the  door,  from  which  they  ran  shouting, 
"  Viva  Doctor,   viva   Doctor." 

"  Now,  Thomas,  if  you  will  come  around  this  evening, 
we  will  have  a  mint  julep  and  a  game  of  pedro,"  said  the 
Doctor,  as  he  put  some  broad-mouthed,  round-bottomed  little 
glasses  in  his  pocket,  "  I  must  go  now  and  '  cup  '  an  old 
paisano  who,  unfortunately  for  me,  has  more  blood  than 
money." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

EL  ERIZO   AND  THE   CONSPIRATORS 

A  FORTNIGHT  after  Dr.  Vanderpool  had  acquired  the  legal 
title  to  the  Domingo  Ortega  portion  of  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Rancho,  Herman  was  seated  on  the  porch  of  the  St.  Louis 
idly  watching  a  group  of  arrivals  from  the  San  Francisco 
steamer,  who  had  just  descended  from  a  Fifth  Avenue  stage 
that  had,  by  a  strange  destiny,  found  its  way,  with  its  rear 
steps,  its  strap  and  bell  and  fare  trap,  From  America's 
metropolis  to  the  Cow  Counties  of  California.  One  of  the 
party  particularly  attracted  his  attention,  a  tall,  thin, 
smooth-shaven  man  of  about  forty-five,  dressed  in  black, 
with  black  hair  —  with  the  exception  of  a  ribbon-like  band 
of  gray,  nearly  white,  which  stretched  above  one  ear  from 
the  forehead  to  the  back  of  the  neck  —  small,  gray  eyes, 
with  a  narrow  bridge  between  them,  and  a  stereotyped 
smile.  He  appeared  to  have  a  noiseless  tread  and  had 
a  cat-like  way  of  moving  around.  As  he  was  about  to 
enter  the  doorway,  he  was  met  by  Gen.  Peters  with  whom, 
was  a  dark  complexioned  young  man  of  thirty  with  an 
intellectual  face  that,  however,  bore  an  unmistakable  ex 
pression  of  insincerity.  He  was  in  riding  boots  and  had 
the  appearance  of  having  been  on  a  fatiguing  ride. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Brooks,  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  sah, 
I  hope  that  your  health  is  good,  sah,"  said  the  General, 
as  he  held  out  his  hand,  which  Mr.  Brooks  pretended  not  to 
see,  as  he  shifted  his  valise  from  one  hand  to  the  other. 

"  How  are  you,  General  Peters,"  he  said,  "  and  you, 
Emanuel,  you  seem  to  have  just  gotten  in  from  the 
country." 

"  Yes,"  said  Gen.  Peters'  companion.  "  Antonio  brought 
your  note  telling  me  you  wished  to  meet  me,  and  I  left 
the  ranch  early  this  morning." 

Instead  of  going  into  the  office,  as  he  had  intended,  Mr. 

127 


128  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Brooks,  so  addressed  by  Gen.  Peters,  motioning  to  the 
others  to  follow  him,  walked  to  the  part  of  the  porch  near 
where  Herman  sat,  away  from  the  crowd,  and  where  they 
were  not  apt  to  be  closely  observed  or  overheard;  then 
turning  to  the  others,  with  one  of  his  blandest  smiles,  but 
an  ugly  look  in  his  gray  eyes,  and  the  gray-white  stripe  in 
his  hair  seeming  to  grow  whiter,  said: 

"  Is  this  true  what  I  hear,  that  Domingo  Ortega  has 
transferred  his  part  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  to  Dr.  Vander- 
pool?" 

"  Yes,"   replied   Emanuel,   "  so  the   records   show.'* 

"  And  did  I  not  tell  you  that  we  must  have  this  tract, 
and  that  he  should  be  prevented  from  doing  anything  with 
the  property  in  the  meanwhile  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  know  that,  and  I  used  every  means  in  my 
power  to  bring  the  old  man  around,  or  tie  him  up;  but  he 
was  as  stubborn  as  one  of  his  broncos  and  I  could  do  noth 
ing;  he  finally  got  mad  and  said  that  I  was  the  peon  of 
you  and  Barter  and  that  you  were  the  blackest-hearted 
thieves  and  robbers  of  widows  and  orphans  that  ever  came 
to  California." 

"  And  you,  a  Mexican,  with  your  bragged-of  experience 
with  these  Indians,  and  your  ability  to  manage  them,  all 
you  could  get  out  of  this  man  was  abuse  of  us  —  and  why 
were  our  names  brought  in,  when  you  were  acting  as  sec 
retary  of  El  Roblar  Company  ?  "  said  Mr.  Brooks  with  a 
still  more  ominous  smile  and  snake-like  look  from  his  gray 
eyes. 

"  Even  if  I  did  not  succeed  in  this,"  answered  Espinosa, 
"you  have  no  reason  to  talk  to  me  as  if  I  were  a  child 
As  you  are  well  aware,  everyone  knows  that  Barter  & 
Brooks  are  the  Company;  that  Barter  &  Brooks  absorbed 
the  main  rancho,  and  want  the  remainder,  and  that  I,  if 
you  will  have  it,  am  at  the  present  time  their  tool;  but,  by 
God,  and  I  tell  you  now,  I  won't  be  so  long,  if  I  am  made 
the  object  of  insult."  And  there  was  an  angry  flush  and  a 
malignant  expression  in  the  Mexican's  face. 

"  Mr.  Brooks,  you  really  do  Mr.  Espinosa  injustice,  sah, 
I  have  seen  him  on  Domingo's  trail,  and  he  has  never 
once  fallen  down,  sah.  Don  Manuel,  you  must  not  be 
angry,  sah,  Mr.  Brooks  does  not  mean  to  blame  you  for  not 


EL  ERIZO  AND  THE  CONSPIRATORS       129 

bagging  the  game,  sah;  but,  of  course,  he  is  naturally  dis 
appointed.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  the  Company  was  with 
out  funds,  and  could  not  buy  it  for  cash.  I  guess  that  sly 
coon,  the  Doctor,  paid  a  very  insignificant  sum  for  it,  sah." 

"  And  you,  General  Peters,"  with  a  sneering  emphasis 
upon  the  title,  "  where  was  your  boasted  generalship  and 
your  barrel  of  aguardiente  that  you  claim  is  such  a  potent 
aid  when  dealing  with  these  greasers?  You  told  me  that 
you  had  herded  with  them  so  long  that  there  was  nothing 
that  you  could  not  get  out  of  them.  You  were  sure  that 
you  and  Manuel  could  get  Domingo  or  any  other  Indian 
to  sign  anything." 

"  When  an  army  has  no  amunition,  sah,  it  can't  do  much 
in  a  fight.  Aguardiente  is  a  powerful  weapon,  sah,  but  it 
needs  some  cash  to  load  it  with,  sah.  You  will  remember, 
sah,  that  several  months  have  passed  since  I  have  seen 
any  equivalent  for  my  services." 

Turning  to  Espinosa  Mr.  Brooks  said,  "  Do  you  know 
anyone  who  could  approach  Vanderpool  in  reference  to 
the  Ortega  tract  ?  " 

"  I  can't  think  of  anyone  for  the  moment,  but  I  believe 
it  had  better  be  tried  through  his  attorney.  He  has  told 
several  persons  that  he  had  retained  in  his  affairs  a  young 
attorney  who  came  from  the  East  some  six  or  eight  months 
ago,  named  Thomas.  He  can't  know  much  about  Cali 
fornia  law,  and  less  about  the  way  it  is  handled  by  ex 
perts  here.  Speak  of  the  devil,"  he  continued,  lowering 
his  voice,  "  there  sits  Thomas  now.  He  is  doubtless  edified, 
if  he  has  heard  any  of  our  conversation.  It  is,  anyway, 
hardly  like  the  shrewd  Mr.  Brooks  to  invite  this  conversa 
tion  in  broad  daylight,  before  the  public.  But  I  suppose 
your  wrath  was  too  much  for  your  prudence." 

"  Manuel,"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  with  a  look  of  suspicion  and 
distrust  on  his  face,  "  your  speech  is  certainly  remarkable. 
Have  you  forgotten  yourself  and  to  whom  you  are  speak- 
ing?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  you  are  the  junior  member  and  senior  devil  of 
the  law  firm  of  Barter  &  Brooks,  and  I  am  its  confidential 
clerk  and  scapegoat,  expected  to  execute  its  schemes,  do  its 
rough  work  and  bear  the  brunt  of  what  there  is  of  odium 
in  it.  I  have  been  more  than  loyal,  I  have  borne  more 


ISO  BOMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

than  could  be  demanded  of  a  man  with  double  my  remunera 
tion.  Instead  of  consideration  and  appreciation,  to  say 
nothing  of  pecuniary  reward,  I  have  met  with  indifference 
and  finally  insult  and  abuse,  and  the  limit  is  passed;  I  am 
done  with  you  and  your  damnable  service."  As  he  spoke, 
his  whole  body  seemed  to  quiver  with  rage. 

Mr.  Brooks  at  once  comprehended  that  he  was  on  very 
dangerous  ground,  and  realized  fully  what  it  might  mean 
to  have  this  man,  in  whom  he  had  aroused  a  devil  he  did 
not  know  existed,  familiar  as  he  was  with  all  the  secret  in 
side  workings  of  the  firm,  turn  upon  them.  Cold-blooded 
and  cool  as  he  was,  he  was  startled  by  the  discovery  of  a 
spirit  which  had  it  been  known  would  have  barred  his  entry 
into  their  service,  and  a  feeling  of  dread  crept  over  him. 
In  an  instant  his  whole  demeanor  changed.  Dropping  the 
sneer  from  his  tone  and  speaking  softly  and  quietly,  he 
said: 

"  Manuel,  we  are  both  wrong.  I  was  very  angry  indeed 
at  being  outwitted  by  that  meddlesome  quack,  but  I  had  no 
right  to  vent  it  on  you  who  had  done  the  best  you  could 
and  had  always  been  faithful;  and  you  were  wrong  in 
turning  upon  me  who  have  certainly  shown  appreciation  of 
your  ability  and  discretion  by  entrusting  to  you  our  most 
confidential  business,  and  have  treated  you  anything  but 
niggardly.  I  believe  you  would  not  have  done  it,  how 
ever  aggravated,  had  you  not  taken  a  glass  too  much  after 
a  hard  ride,  and  so  it  is  a  thing  of  the  past  with  me/' 

"  Well,"  said  Espinosa,  "  I  have  let  loose  what  was  in 
me,  and  the  episode  is  over  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  and 
the  matter  need  go  no  further  than  words.  We  had  better 
both  go  to  dinner  and  we  may  probably  be  in  a  better  frame 
of  mind  afterwards." 

He  turned  and  walked  down  the  porch  towards  the 
office  door,  the  others  following,  and  there  was  a  look  of 
triumph  in  his  eyes. 

While  the  conversation  was  going  on  there  was  a  rum 
bling  and  groaning  and  creaking  noise,  coming  down  the 
street,  drawing  nearer  and  nearer,  until  the  producer  of 
the  unearthly  sounds  stopped  in  front  of  the  St.  Louis 
just  as  Mr.  Brooks  and  his  companions  reached  the  group 
at  the  door  of  the  office.  It  was  a  cart  with  great  wooden 


EL  KK I/O  AND  HIS  OX-CART 


EL  ERIZO  AND  THE  CONSPIRATORS       131 

wheels,  cut  like  butchers'  blocks,,  from  a  tree  trunk,  on 
heavy  wooden  axles  —  that  one  would  think,  from  their  hid 
eous  screeching,  had  never  been  greased, —  drawn  by  two 
bronco  oxen,  yoked  to  the  cart  with  leather  thongs;  and 
driven  by  a  grotesque-looking  old  native  with  only  eyes  and 
nose  and  big  ears  visible  in  a  shock  of  grizzled  hair, — 
which  gave  his  head  something  of  the  appearance  of  a  hedge 
hog, —  dressed  in  an  ancient  Mexican  suit,  evidently  in 
herited  from  his  grandfather.  He  was  the  last  of  the 
freighters  of  the  old  regime,  who,  by  this  primitive  method 
of  transportation,  carried  from  the  seaport  what  goods 
were  required  on  the  ranches  beyond  the  mountains.  As  he 
halted  his  chariot,  and  stood  up  on  it,  stretching  his  legs 
and  arms,  he  caught  sight  of  the  trio  of  whom  I  have  been 
speaking,  and  the  sight  was  like  that  of  a  red  flag  to  a 
mad  bull.  He  slapped  one  hand  upon  his  revolver  and 
pointed  to  them  with  a  long  stick  used  as  a  goad,  in  the 
other,  and  stamped  his  feet  and  almost  shrieked: 

"  Mira,  mira  estos  diablos  ladrones  y  asesinos.  Look 
at  those  devils,  robbers  and  cutthroats.  Caramba,  mira 
esto  pinto,  that  spotted-headed  coyote,  that  lying  Gringo 
lawyer,  Brookies.  Mira  that  traitor  and  Gringo  Mexicano, 
Manuel  Espinosa,  and  that  pluggie-hat  borracho  card-cheat, 
General  Putos.  Oya,  amigo,  Senor  Latour,  keep  those 
ladrones  out  of  your  hotel,  they  will  rob  you  and  all  your 
people." 

The  old  man's  forcible  language  and  violent  gestures 
afforded  considerable  amusement  to  the  bystanders  and 
gradually  attracted  quite  a  crowd  from  the  street,  and  the 
objects  of  his  wrath  came  in  for  a  share  of  the  audience's 
observation.  The  sheriff,  who  was  leaning  against  a  post, 
seemed  equally  entertained  with  the  others,  and  did  not 
at  first  make  any  effort  to  interrupt  the  show. 

Mr.  Brooks  speaking  to  Espinosa  in  an  undertone,  said, 
"  Have  the  brute  arrested;  there  is  the  sheriff." 

"  I  beg  you,  sah,  do  not  do  it,"  whispered  Gen.  Peters. 
"  Keep  quiet,  he  is  just  waiting  for  one  of  us  to  do  or  say 
something;  see  his  hand  on  his  gun?  He  would  shoot  either 
one  of  us,  sah,  like  a  dog.  I  know  him." 

"  The  General  is  right,"  said  Espinosa,  "  and  what  is 
more,  if  he  did  kill  anyone  of  us,  no  jury  in  St.  Agnes 


132          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

would  convict  him.  As  I  told  you  at  the  time,  when  you 
insisted  on  fencing  into  El  Roblar  Viejo  a  portion  of  his 
rancho  as  he  had  occupied  it  for  years,  in  accordance  with 
natural  boundaries,  that  there  would  be  the  devil  to  pay; 
and  now  the  life  of  anyone  of  us  is  not  safe  in  the  neigh 
borhood.  Come  inside  and  pay  no  attention  to  him,"  and 
he  slipped  in  quietly  and  the  other  two  followed.  With 
the  red  flag  no  longer  in  sight,  the  roaring  of  the  enraged 
proprietor  of  the  ox-cart,  gradually  subsided  into  surly 
mutterings,  and  ceased  when  the  sheriff  slapped  him  on 
the  back  and  asked  him  into  the  bar  to  moisten  his  throat 
after  its  strenuous  exertion. 

Herman  enquired  of  Mr.  Latour  who  the  irate  party 
was. 

"  That  is  Pedro  Olivera,  a  hard-working  Californian ; 
not  a  bad  man,  unless  he  thinks  someone  wrongs  him, 
then  he  would  kill  him  as  quick  as  he  would  a  skunk,  and 
Mistaire  Espinosa  and  ze  plug-hat  General  had  better 
look  out." 


CHAPTER  XV 

DINNER  AT   THE   ST.   LOUIS 

"  Mon  cher  Monsieur  Thomas,  charme  de  vous  voir,"  and 
the  merry  Mr.  Sigismund  put  his  arm  around  Herman's 
waist,  and  at  the  same  time  shook  his  hand ;  "  and  did  you 
enjoy  the  grand  divertissement,  ha!  ha!  Pluggie-hat  Gen 
eral;  Pinto  Brookies;  Gringo  Mexicano;"  and  Mr.  Sigis 
mund  danced  up  and  down,  mimicking  the  furious  Pedro 
to  perfection.  "  I  am  sorry  for  my  friend,  Manuel,  who 
is  sensitive,  with  all  his  assumption  of  Satanic  stoicism;  but 
the  populace  is  with  old  Erizo,  as  they  call  him,  and  the  trio 
he  vented  his  wrath  on  are  not  exactly  idolized  in  St.  Agnes. 
I  am  going  to  invite  Manuel  to  dine  with  me,  and  I  want  you 
to  make  a  third  party.  He  needs  cheering  up;  besides,  I 
have  just  sold  him  a  bill  of  hardware  for  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Rancho,  which  he  runs  for  the  owners,  and  a  good  dinner 
is  not  a  bad  pilon.  Come,  mon  cher,  we  will  make  it  a 
joyous  feast  with  Monsieur  Latour's  famous  burgundy. 
We  two,  no  matter  what  mood  the  Mexican  is  in,  can  talk 
music  and  art,  and  the  vine-clad  hills  of  the  Rhine,  and  the 
mountain  battlements  and  castles,  obelisks  and  shafts  of 
the  Saechslche  Schweiz,  and  lieber  Dresden's  nimble- 
footed  fairy  Fraiilein  Boese.  Voila  noire  Convie.  Good 
evening,  Don  Manuel,  your  delighted  servant.  Mr. 
Thomas,  Mr.  Espinosa.  I  have  come  to  invite  you  to  tear 
yourself  away  for  an  evening  from  those  boon  companions, 
the  General  and  the  Advocate,  and  be  with  Mr.  Thomas, 
my  guest,  to-night." 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Don 
Manuel,  "  Only  too  willingly,  dear  Sigismund.  I  need  the 
change;  besides,  Brooks  wants  to  dine  with  his  own  thoughts 
to-night,  and  we  both  gave  the  General  the  conge." 

"  A  la  bonheur,  look,"  cried  Mr.  Sigismund,  "  here  comes 
the  Baron,  a  prince  of  good  fellows.  I  did  not  think  I 
would  be  so  fortunate  to-night,  we  will  make  a  choice 

133 


134  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

parti  carre,"  and  running  to  the  door  he  seized  Baron 
Municheisen  by  both  hands,  and,  skipping  in  front  of  him, 
led  him  up  to  where  his  guests  stood  laughing. 

"  Oh,  but  you  are  happily  come,  and  heartily  welcomed, 
my  noble  Lord  of  Riiheplatz.  We  needed  but  your  jovial 
presence  to  perfect  our  little  dinner  party.  You  will  be  one 
of  us,  will  you  not,  mon  ami?  You  know  Mr.  Thomas  and 
Mr.  Espinosa  and  I  am  sure  you  love  my  own  frolicsome 
little  self." 

"  Such  brilliant  fellowship  is  irresistible,  dear  Sigis- 
mund,  and  I  accept  with  rapture  your  invitation.  I  had 
anticipated  a  solitary  meal  or  uncongenial  companionship. 
Only  I  cannot  sit  long  over  the  coffee,  as  I  must  ride  home 
to-night." 

"  At  whatever  sacrifice  to  ourselves,  we  will  let  you  fly 
when  you  will.  Helloa  Monsieur  Latour,  mon  petit  en 
fant,  do  you  see  this  group  of  bon  vivants?  Serve  us  a  feast 
worthy  of  Brillard  Saverin,  perfumed  and  spiritualized 
with  your  best  burgundy.  Now  for  the  grand  entree. 
Follow,  comrades,  all.  And  he  danced  ahead  like  Pluto, 
as,  in  Orphee  aux  Enfers,  he  lead  the  Olympian  band  on 
the  descent  of  the  Gods  to  Hades,  playing  a  soul-stirring 
march  on  an  imaginary  kettledrum,  in  perfect  imitation 
of  that  martial  instrument. 

The  private  dining-room  of  the  St.  Louis  might  better 
have  been  called  the  dining-room  of  the  select.  It  had 
in  it  a  dining-table  in  the  center  that  could  be  made  any 
length  according  to  the  number  in  the  party,  and  a  table 
in  each  corner  which  would  comfortably  accommodate  four. 

As  Sigismund  led  his  recruits  into  the  dining-room,  and 
halted  at  one  of  the  corner  tables, —  not  noticing  a  lady  and 
gentleman  who  sat  at  a  table  opposite, —  while  his  guests 
were  being  seated,  he  gave  a  tremendous  roll  on  his  in 
visible  drum,  threw  his  arms  up  in  the  air  and  brought 
them  down  with  a  crash  produced  by  his  mouth  and  feet. 
Catching  a  peculiar  expression  on  the  faces  of  his  friends, 
he  glanced  around  and  discovered  the  couple  at  the  other 
table.  He  immediately  bowed  with  the  grace  of  a  courtier, 
and  begged  their  pardon  for  his  boisterousness,  stating 
that  he  had  thought  the  room  unoccupied.  A  slight  in 
clination  of  the  head  and  a  cold  glance  was  the  lady's  re- 


A  DINNER  AT  THE  ST.  LOUIS  135 

sponse,  while  the  gentleman,  with  a  sneer  in  his  voice 
and  expression  which  did  not  escape  the  sharp  ears  and 
eyes  of  Sigismund,  and  which  a  flame  in  his  eyes  showed 
he  resented,  said,  "  You  have  not  annoyed  us,  we  will  soon 
have  inured  ourselves  to  the  eccentricities  of  the  coun 
try." 

"  Baron,  do  you  know  those  people  ?  "  asked  Sigismund 
in  an  undertone. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Thomas  and  I  have  met  them.  They  are 
Mrs.  Stanley  and  her  son,  recent  arrivals  from  New  York." 

"  Not  of  our  kind.  They  had  better  go  back ;  they  need 
a  ruder  climate,"  said  our  host. 

Mr.  Latour,  by  a  peculiar  eccentric  motion  worthy  of  a 
Ravel,  had  propelled  his  portly  form  through  the  doorway 
(through  which  he  certainly  could  not  have  passed  abreast, 
and  yet  his  diameter  was  the  same  from  port  to  starboard 
as  from  stem  to  stern),  touched  up  our  friends'  table  with 
his  own  expert  hands,  garnished  it  with  tempting  relishes, 
and  stimulated  each  one's  appetite  with  a  glass  of  Vermouth. 

"  Is  it  not  marvelous,"  said  Herman,  "  that  in  this  little 
provincial  town,  far  away  from  any  social  center,  unknown 
to  most  of  the  world,  there  should  be  found  a  hostelry  like 
the  St.  Louis,  with  a  cuisine  and  a  wine-cellar  the  Poodle 
Dog  could  give  little  odds  to." 

"Why  is  it  strange?"  said  Mr.  Sigismund.  "  Is  it  not 
stranger  that  a  hotel  in  this  hamlet  should  have  such  patrons 
as  yourself,  who  have  studied  and  played  and  feasted  in 
classic  alcoves,  and  sacred  groves  and  storied  inns;  and  the 
Baron,  who  has  skimmed  the  cream  of  social  life  in  the 
fair  cities  of  the  continent;  and  Don  Manuel,  who  was  fed 
upon  the  luxuries  of  high  life  in  the  metropolis  of  our 
neighboring  republic;  and  I,  who  have,  as  a  feted  patriot 
and  then  a  soldier  of  fortune,  tasted  the  tit-bits  of  good- 
living  in  almost  every  land?  And  we  are  but  a  handful  of 
the  cosmopolites  of  education  and  refined  breeding  who 
are  here,  wafted  as  it  were,  from  the  flower  beds  of  every 
clime.  And  each  seems  to  have  been  transported  to  this 
charmed  spot  by  some  strange  circumstance,  the  inspira 
tion  of  providence  or  sorcery,  whichever  you  believe  in." 

V  You  are  right,"  said  Herman,  "  and  I  was  deeply  im 
pressed  with  it  not  long  ago.  About  a  month  after  my 


136  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

arrival  at  St.  Agnes  I  was  watching  a  game  of  billiards 
played  here  in  the  St.  Louis  by  two  Englishmen,  the  face 
of  one  of  whom  seemed  strangely  familiar  to  me.  He 
made  some  casual  remark  about  Geneva,  Switzerland,  and 
excusing  myself,  I  asked  him  if  he  were  not  Lord  C.  He 
replied  in  the  affirmative  and  at  once  recognized  me.  We 
had  had  the  same  private  tutor  in  Geneva,  and  he  had  been 
a  member  of  a  cricket  club  at  whose  games  I  had  acted  as 
umpire.  He  was  traveling  around  the  world  with  the  son 
of  a  distinguished  English  jurist.  When  he  left  St.  Agnes 
he  gave  me  his  card  and  invited  me  to  call  upon  him  at 
St.  James  Place,  London,  and,  also  presented  to  me  the 
novel  '  Not  Wisely  but  too  Well '  which  had  only  recently 
been  published.  A  couple  of  months  later  I  saw  a  news 
item  stating  that  he  had  committed  suicide,  and  I  wondered 
if  there  had  been  a  romance  in  his  life,  young  as  he  was, 
and  a  motive  in  making  me  a  present  of  the  novel." 

"  Romances  in  lives  are  sometimes  hard  on  the  nerves," 
said  Sigismund,  "  and  frequently  make  devils  of  saints ; 
but  suicide  is  a  fool's  specific,  while  the  world  has 
its  joys  and  pleasures  and  the  senses  remain  keen,  if  super- 
excited;  and  only  when  earth  becomes  a  flavorless,  scentless 
desert  waste,  should  the  grim  monster  be  courted." 

"  There  is  such  a  thing,  Seiior  Sigismund,"  musingly  re 
plied  Don  Manuel,  "  as  the  mind  and  heart  being  a  waste 
or  a  chamber  of  horrors,  while  the  senses  retain  their  sway ; 
and  in  such  a  case,  it  is  a  question  of  a  lifetime's  torture 
or  the  peace-bringing  blade  or  bullet." 

"  Suicide,  unless  it  is  involuntary,  from  overeating,"  ex 
claimed  the  Baron,  "  is  not  a  proper  attendant  at  this 
table,  with  these  delicious  marrow-bones,  and  this  chablis 
with  the  bouquet  of  Jove's  nectar.  Away  with  so  hideous  a 
phantom !  " 

"  Pardon,  my  good  Monsieur  Latour,"  exclaimed  the 
host,  "  let  me  change  a  little  my  order ;  bring  on  a  bottle 
of  your  fine  mellow  Bordeaux,  with  the  chill  taken  off;  it 
will  go  charmingly  with  that  tempting  gigot  and  those  hari 
cots  verts  that  look  as  tender  as  the  first  green  shoots  of 
spring.  The  chambertin  can  follow.  Ah,  what  scientists 
these  French  chefs  are.  The  temperature  of  the  boiling 
water  in  which  those  string-beans  were  plunged  never  was 


A  DINNER  AT  THE  ST.  LOUIS  137 

lowered,  for  a  red  hot  poker  accompanied  their  entrance 
into  the  kettle." 

The  dinner  was  thoroughly  enjoyed,  even  by  the  morose 
Manuel;  and  after  a  towering  omelette  souffle,  Mr.  La- 
tour's  own  chef  d'ceuvre  had  disappeared,  and  the  cheese 
and  the  fruits  had  been  nibbled,  and  the  coffee  and  liqueurs 
had  come  on,  and  all  others  had  fled  the  room,  as  was  the 
custom  with  his  appreciative  gourmet  friends  and  patrons, 
Monsieur  Latour  was  invited  to  join  the  party  and  receive 
the  enthusiastic  tributes  paid  to  his  talent,  and  drink  a 
toast  to  the  St.  Louis.  A  place  was  made  for  him  at  the 
table  and  after  a  petit  verre  or  two,  he  succumbed  to  the 
hypnotic  influence  of  Sigismund,  and  sang  some  familiar 
French  songs  of  the  people  with  vivacity  and  sweetness 
hard  to  comprehend,  coming  from  so  great  a  morsel  of 
flesh;  and  Herman  was  reminded  of  that  little  three- 
hundred  pound  tenor  who  rolled  with  exquisite  grace  around 
the  stage,  and  enraptured  the  audience  w7ith  his  angelic 
voice  —  the  one  Wagner  had  selected  to  sing  his  grand 
operas, —  Schnorr  von  Carroldsfeldt. 

It  was  a  pity,  but  the  Baron  had  to  desert  the  party  wrhen 
the  cigars  had  barely  been  lighted  and  just  when  the  most 
delightful  part  of  a  dinner  of  congenial  spirits  begins; 
when  the  choice  things  of  mind  and  soul  are  brought  out, 
and  enjoyed  in  the  kindly  atmosphere  of  good  fellowship. 
Herman  excused  himself  for  the  moment,  and  accompanied 
the  Baron  into  the  office. 

"  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you,"  he  said  to  the  Baron,  "  I 
have  written  a  song,  the  theme  of  which  I  think  accords 
with  the  sentiment  and  feeling,  oftentimes  mournful,  of  a 
lady  friend  of  us  both,  and  I  want  you  to  compose,  helped 
by  some  suggestions  of  mine,  the  music  for  it." 

"  It  would  give  me  great  pleasure,  but  I  would  like  the 
assistance  of  Sigismund  in  preparing  the  instrumentaliza- 
tion.  The  three  of  us  should  create  something  not  alto 
gether  tame  or  commonplace." 

"  Here  are  the  words,  and  it  is  for  you  to  give  them 
voice  in  melody,  and  I  know  no  one  here  more  competent 
for  the  task.  Good  night,  dear  Baron,  a  delightful  ride 
in  the  glorious  moonlight.  Best  wishes  to  Madame  Miin- 
icheisen." 


138  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Returning  to  the  dining-room,  Herman  met  Dr.  Vander- 
pool,  who  was  at  the  same  time  spied  by  Sigismund. 

"  Come  join  us,  Doctor,"  he  called,  "  Mr.  Thomas,  bring 
in  that  minister  to  mortal  maladies,  and  we  will  prove  to 
him  that  there  is  a  blessing  and  solace  in  a  Benedictine  and 
a  good  Havana,  that  his  materia  medica  cannot  produce." 

"  Helloa,  boys,  how  are  you?  Anything  new?  Having 
a  good  time,  hey?  Don't  mind  joining  you  for  a  while. 
Como  va  Senor  Espinosa,  anything  new  ?  " 

"  Nothing  that  comes  to  my  mind,  except  maybe  the  news 
that  you  are  our  neighbor,  having  bought  out  old  Domingo. 
By  the  way,  can't  we  get  you  to  join  with  us  in  procuring 
a  patent  to  the  rancho?  The  Company's  attorneys,  as  you 
know,  are  Barter  &  Brooks,  the  ones  who  had  the  grant 
confirmed,  and  they  and  their  Washington  correspondents 
can  handle  the  matter  more  satisfactorily  and  more  rea 
sonably  than  any  others,  and  if  you  would  have  them  rep 
resent  you,  their  fees  and  expenses  could  be  borne  by  us  and 
by  you  proportionately  in  accordance  with  the  values  of  the 
respective  ownerships." 

"  You  should  have  suggested  this  before,"  said  the  Doctor, 
"  I  have  just  retained  Mr.  Thomas  in  this  matter  and  can 
not  well  pay  for  additional  counsel.  He  can  cooperate  with 
Barter  £  Brooks,  and  doubtless  it  will  be  better  for  us 
both." 

"  Come,  come,  no  business  to-night,  gentlemen,  it  is  a 
sacrilege,"  cried  Sigismund.  The  Doctor  helped  himself 
to  a  glass  of  Benedictine  and  a  cigar.  "  Our  late-welcomed 
friend  has  prepared  himself  for  more  pleasurable  topics 
than  lawsuits  and  lawyers'  fees." 

And  the  topics  were  indeed  productive  of  more  enjoy 
ment,  and  the  conversation  more  edifying,  and  the  wit 
and  repartee  more  brilliant,  and  the  thought  and  expression 
more  earnest  and  sincere  than  could  have  come  from  dis 
cussions  of  the  world's  sordid  affairs.  And  the  good  night 
was  spoken  with  a  friendly  warmth,  and  hands  shaken 
with  a  cordial  grasp,  as  the  party  broke  up,  which  was 
possible  because  of  the  banishment  of  the  petrifying  spirit 
of  wordly  gain. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE    OLD    MISSION 

HERMAN  was  in  a  pensive  mood,  and  as  it  was  a  balmy 
afternoon,  and  no  professional  work  tied  him  to  his  office, 
he  concluded  to  walk  out  to  the  Mission  and  pay  Father 
Aloysius  a  visit. 

The  Mission,  with  the  judgment,  foresight  and  practical 
ability  that  characterized  the  priestly  founders  of  all  the 
California  missions,  was  built  upon  the  choicest  site  for 
utility  and  beauty  in  St.  Agnes.  It  stands  three  hundred 
feet  above  tide-water,  at  the  mouth  of  a  beautifully  wooded 
canon  through  which  winds  picturesquely  a  large  stream, 
and  back  of  which  the  mountains  rise  abruptly  in  all  their 
solemn  grandeur.  It  commands  on  the  south  the  valley 
in  whose  bosom  rests  the  town,  and  the  ocean  and  distant 
islands,  and  in  the  east  the  mesa  and  miles  of  slopes 
and  plain  dotted  with  live-oaks;  and  from  most  every 
point  of  view  its  Moorish  towers  and  cross  can  be  seen  ris 
ing  heavenward,  standing  out  from  and  seemingly  guarded 
by  the  mountain  barriers,  calling  the  thoughts  to  sacred 
things  and,  one  fancies,  bestowing  a  benediction  on  the 
land  they  overlook,  and  the  beings  that  live  and  toil  and 
play  and  joy  and  sorrow  upon  it.  In  those  days  its  color  of 
soft  yellow  blended  with  the  landscape's  summer  tints; 
its  fountain  in  the  cloister  garden  of  rare  plants  and  sweet 
flowers,  and  that  in  front  the  church  which  fed  the  stout 
reservoir  where  the  neophytes  washed  the  vestments  and 
linen,  and  whose  knee-marks  in  the  stone  can  now  be 
seen,  played  musically;  and  a  graceful  arch  of  masonry, 
now  gone,  spanned  the  road  leading  into  the  canon,  a  be 
coming  portal  to  the  beautiful  ravine,  in  which  was  framed 
an  enchanting  picture  of  woodland  and  stream. 

Father  Aloysius  met  him  at  the  cloister  steps  and  sug 
gested  that  they  stroll  into  the  canon.  The  visit  had  been 

139 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

timed  for  the  Father's  leisure  hour,  so  that  they  would  be 
free  from  interruption,  and  could  go  where  they  would. 
They  walked  up  the  stream  to  a  little  chapel-like  nook, 
shut  in  with  great  bowlders  and  gnarled  trees  whose 
branches  formed  a  rustic  roof  and  shelter  from  the  sun; 
where  the  murmur  and  ripple  of  the  stream  and  rustle  of  the 
leaves  were  as  subdued  as  the  birds  chirping  at  sundown. 
There  they  sat  down  and  talked  familiarly  as  two  com 
rades.  Herman  first  told  the  Father  of  the  new  event  in 
the  history  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho;  the  acquisition  by 
Dr.  Vanderpool  of  the  Domingo  Ortega  tract;  his  retainer 
by  the  Doctor;  the  arrival  at  the  St.  Louis  of  Mr.  Brooks; 
his  interview  with  Manuel  Espinosa  and  Gen.  Peters;  the 
onslaught  of  Pedro  Olivera,  and  the  endeavor  of  Espinosa 
to  persuade  the  Doctor  to  employ  Barter  &  Brooks. 

Father  Aloysius  was  much  interested  and  entertained 
and  laughed  merrily  at  the  description  of  the  performance 
of  El  Erizo,  though  immediately  a  serious  expression  came 
upon  his  face. 

"  He  is  very  ugly,  very  dangerous,  and  there  is  no  telling 
what  may  be  the  outcome  of  this/'  he  said.  "  I  believe  that 
I  have  greater  influence  over  him  than  anyone,  and  have 
often  been  the  means  of  calming  his  passions;  more  I  sup 
pose,  because  of  my  priestly  calling,  for  his  religion  is  the 
only  authority  he  recognizes  and  will  submit  to.  But  I 
fear  that  I  or  no  other  human  being  could  stay  his  hand 
if  he  encountered  Brooks  or  Espinosa  alone  in  one  of  his 
angry  moods." 

"  I  think  they  dread  this,"  said  Herman,  "  and  will  try  to 
keep  at  safe  distance  from  him.  I  know  that  Gen.  Peters 
will  not  cross  his  path  if  he  can  avoid  it,  from  the  way  he 
turned  white  and  trembled  when  Pedro  turned  his  atten 
tion  to  him." 

"  I  am  not  surprised,  for  he  is  a  despicable,  cowardly 
creature,  and  must  be  hounded  in  his  conscience  by  more 
than  one  avenger.  He  has  been  connected  with  a  number 
of  nefarious  schemes  and  deeds,  among  which  may  be 
counted  the  defrauding  of  Jose  Castaiios." 

"  I  am  sure,"  replied  Herman,  "  that  he  played  an  im 
portant  part  in  that  swindle,  and  I  believe  he  can,  by  ju 
dicious  management,  be  made  the  means  of  exposing  it. 


THE  OLD  MISSION  141 

This  has  been  for  some  time  in  my  thoughts,  and  as  great 
as  is  the  loathing  I  have  for  him,  I  have  never  let  him  see 
it;  and  he  has  been  kind  enough  to  say  to  Dr.  Vanderpool 
that  I  am  an  American  gentleman  and  far  superior  to  those 
foreign  cads  that  are  ruining  St.  Agnes  as  the  seat  of 
gentility.  I  may,  myself,  be  able  to  gain  from  him  facts 
that  will  lead  to  the  recovery  of  the  stolen  property." 

"  I  hope  so,  sincerely,  and  you  have  my  earnest  prayers 
for  your  success.  I  take  deep  interest  in  this  family.  The 
old  lady  is  now  serene  and  happy,  and  I  do  not  know  that 
prosperity  would  bring  her  any  greater  peace;  though  for 
her  daughter's  sake,  she  would  rejoice.  But  she  should 
be  surrounded  with  comforts  in  her  old  age.  It  is  true 
that  these  native  women  can  and  will  uncomplainingly  sub 
sist  upon  very  little;  a  little  jerked  beef  and  beans  will 
satisfy  them,  and  they  will  live  comfortably  where  an 
American  woman  would  starve;  but,  nevertheless,  they  ap 
preciate  and  are  benefited  by  good  living  equally  with  those 
who  can  endure  less.  It  is,  however,  more  on  account  of 
Carmelita  that  I  would  be  glad  to  see  them  in  better  cir 
cumstances.  I  feel  very  uneasy  about  Carmelita.  She 
is  a  very  good  and  obedient  child,  and  it  may  seem  strange 
to  you  that  I  should  have  this  feeling,  and  yet  there  is 
cause.  I  would  have  no  fear  if  her  association  were  ex 
clusively  with  her  own  people;  but,  being  obliged  to  earn 
her  living,  she  is  thrown  with  the  American  newcomers, 
goes  to  their  houses,  and  sees  the  display  in  dress  and  com 
forts  and  luxuries  which  money  affords;  and  she  has  an 
ambitious  longing  for  them,  especially  for  the  finery,  and  at 
times  grows  discontented,  unhappy  and  envious.  What 
makes  this  doubly  dangerous  is  that,  like  the  rest  of  her 
native  people,  with  all  her  ease  and  grace,  she  is  absolutely 
ignorant  of  the  world  and  its  deviltry.  May  God  protect 
her." 

"  I  fear,  Father,  that  I  was  very  foolish,  in  what  I  said 
in  a  letter  I  wrote  to  an  old  friend  soon  after  my  arrival, 
that  the  usefulness  of  the  Mission  friars  had  gone  with 
their  Indian  wards.  It  seems  to  me  that  they  have,  if  in  a 
different  form,  as  difficult  duties  as  when  they  ministered 
to  their  savage  neophites." 

"  We  have  as  grave  responsibility,  and,  in  many  ways, 


142          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL' 

equally  as  trying  and  difficult  tasks.  All  that  keeps  these 
people  from  degeneracy  and  degradation  is  their  religion; 
and  the  priest  has  no  easy  work  in  keeping  the  faith  alive 
and  ardent  in  them,  and  none  but  our  own  church  could  ac 
complish  it.  Gentle  treatment,  object  lessons,  unless  spirit 
ualized  and  made  the  symbols  of  divine  personages  and 
mysteries,  refined  surroundings  and  a  moral  atmosphere, 
will  not  control  or  rescue  them.  They  must  have  the  pres 
ence  of  the  God  of  Justice  as  well  as  of  love  before  them; 
must  feel  the  Church's  discipline  and  penalties,  and  at  the 
same  time  be  treated  gently  and  tenderly  and  led  along  like 
little  children  in  the  atmosphere  of  love.  The  confessional 
is  the  great  conservator  of  virtue  and  preventer  of  crime. 
Through  its  ministry  family  ties  are  sacred  among  these 
people,  and  infidelity  rarely  comes  to  strain  them.  The 
majority  of  the  men,  the  descendants  of  the  Mexican  soldiery 
who  occupied  the  country, —  many  having  Indian  blood  in 
their  veins, —  have  little  religion,  and  rarely  perform  their 
obligations  as  Catholics;  some  not  until  the  approach  of 
death  terrorizes  them,  and  they  seem  to  be  impervious  to 
any  direct  influence.  All  we  are  able  to  do  is  to  try  to  move 
them  through  the  women  and  children;  but  the  saddest  part 
of  it  is,  the  bad  example  of  the  fathers  make  it  almost 
impossible  to  train  the  boys  to  a  correct  life." 

"  I  wonder  if  you  could  make  a  Catholic  of  me,  Father  ?  " 

"  Not  if  it  depended  upon  personal  importuning.  My 
prayers  might."  And  looking  at  Herman,  dreamily,  he 
continued,  "  You  will  come  and  ask  admittance  to  the 
Church  when  the  world  has  become  bitter  to  you  and  God 
demands  of  you  some  great  sacrifice  you  cannot  make  with 
out  His  aid." 

"  By  the  way,  Father,  have  you  noticed  a  fine-looking 
lady  with  her  son, —  a  tall,  well-dressed  young  man,  recent 
arrivals  from  the  East;  their  name,  Stanley?  " 

"  Yes,  they  were  at  the  Mission  some  days  ago,  and  I 
must  say  I  did  not  receive  a  favorable  impression  of  them. 
It  came  principally  from  sneering  remarks  and  looks. 
Their  manner, —  it  may  not  have  been  intended, —  was  very 
contemptuous,  and  they  acted  as  if  they  were  viewing  a 
museum,  and  on  taking  their  leave  asked  if  there  was  any 
thing  to  pay." 


THE  OLD  MISSION  143 

"  I,"  said  Herman,  "  have  taken  a  stronger  prejudice 
against  them  than  I  am  wont  to  have  against  anyone  with 
out  good  cause,  and  I  keep  wishing  that  they  had  never 
come  to  St.  Agnes.  This  is  why  I  asked  you  about  them." 

"  I  can  understand  exactly  your  feeling,  and  I  myself 
have  a  presentiment  that  their  presence  bodes  no  good." 

They  chatted  until  a  signal  bell  from  the  Mission  warned 
the  Father  that  his  hour  of  recreation  was  at  an  end. 
When  they  came  back  to  the  Mission,  they  found  the  ven 
erable,  white-haired  superior,  an  old  missioner,  who  had 
seen  dispersed  the  last  of  the  Indian  Mission  wards,  and 
was  now  peacefully  awaiting  the  reward  of  his  sacrificial 
labors.  He  greeted  Herman,  whom  he  knew,  with  a  saintly 
sweetness,  and  gave  him  his  blessing  as  he  departed.  Her 
man  turned  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  to  give  a  farewell 
glance.  The  old  man's  hands  were  folded  in  his  lap  and 
on  his  face  rested  a  gentle  expression  of  perfect  peace. 
Father  Aloysius  stood  beside  him,  with  his  hand  resting 
affectionately  upon  his  shoulder,  a  faraway  look  in  his  eyes 
and  an  expression  of  deep  sadness  in  his  features.  Side 
by  side  were  the  faithful  warrior  who  had  fought  the 
good  fight  and  won  the  soul's  peace,  and  the  youthful 
soldier  with  the  zealot's  aspiration  and  ardor,  the  struggle 
yet  before  him — both  bound  by  sacred  vows  to  a  divine 
allegiance,  in  the  noblest  cause  that  can  command  the 
sacrifice  and  valor  of  heroes  and  martyrs,  the  salvation  of 
souls. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HERMAN'S   LAW  CHAMBERS 

ST.  AGNES  boasted  two  brick  buildings  when  Herman  first 
hung  out  his  sign.  One  was  a  little  school-house,  looking 
like  a  meteor  fallen  among  the  adobe  residences;  and  the 
other, —  a  two-story  business  building  with  a  drug-store  in 
the  first  story  and  offices  in  the  second, —  stood  at  the  corner 
of  the  principal  street  and  a  well-traveled  side  street. 
The  lot  and  building  were  owned  by  Dr.  Barton  and  the 
drug-store  by  him  and  a  Chilean  who  was,  like  Dr.  Barton, 
a  skilled  pharmacist.  The  building  bore  the  title  of 
Pharmacy  Hall.  A  narrow  porch  on  the  second  story 
ran  along  the  front  and  the  side  facing  the  side  street, 
which  was  reached  from  the  side  street  by  a  steep  outside 
stairway.  The  offices  let  out  on  the  porch,  like  steamer 
deck  cabins,  and  were  partitioned  one  from  another  by  thin 
redwood  boards,  resonant  conductors  of  sound,  and  when 
occupied  by  the  different  tenants  all  talking,  seemed  like  a 
great  harmonica.  On  the  corner,  at  the  intersection  of 
the  streets,  Herman  had  his  office  or  offices, —  for  there  was 
a  cupboard-like  little  back  room, —  which  were  occupied  by 
Herman  for  study  and  clerical  work.  If  there  was  to  be  any 
private  consultation  or  confidential  conversation,  he  took 
his  client  to  a  lumber-yard  adjoining,  where  the  problem 
was  solved  and  the  business  transacted  on  a  pile  of  boards; 
and  if  there  was  any  figuring  to  be  done  a  shingle  served 
as  writing  tablet.  The  back  room  was  used  as  a  lavatory 
and  store  room,  and  Herman  now,  when  he  looks  back  at 
those  pioneer  days,  always  associates  it  with  an  Englishman, 
one  of  his  early  clients,  Spencer  by  name,  who  was  always 
called, —  and  it  was  believed  by  many  of  the  inhabitants 
correctly  so, —  Lord  Spencer.  He  was  a  jovial  and  hospit 
able  fellow,  and  his  greatest  ambition  was  to  get  his  guests 
at  dinner  under  the  table.  For  one  of  noble  lineage,  he 
misplaced  his  in  a  remarkable  way.  One  day  he  entered 


HERMAN'S  LAW  CHAMBERS  145 

Herman's  office  in  an  agitated  manner,  with  a  bottle  in  his 
hand,  and  asked  if  he  might  not  go  into  the  back  room  and 
apply  some  lotion  to  his  wrists  and  arms  where  he  had  been 
severely  poisoned  with  poison-oak.  After  he  had  gone  in, 
with  Herman's  amused  assent,  and  applied  the  remedy 
and  returned,  Herman  said,  "Does  it  hurt,  Spencer?" 
To  which  his  Lordship  replied,  "  No,  it  doesn't  'urt,  it 
hitches." 

The  rooms  at  the  head  of  the  stairway  at  the  other  end 
of  the  side  porch,  had  recently  been  rented  to  a  daper 
little  Canadian  with  yellow  hair  and  a  little  yellow  tuft  on 
either  cheek,  who  always  wore  in  his  office  a  velvet  jacket, 
and  appeared  on  the  street  in  a  white  waistcoat,  white 
necktie  and  silk  hat.  He  was  a  dentist,  but  did  not  seem 
to  court  practice.  He  had  fitted  up  his  chambers  simply  and 
neatly,  with  fresh,  clean  little  pictures  of  landscapes  on  the 
walls;  and  the  night  to  which  I  am  about  to  refer,  he  had 
just  spread  out  on  his  floor  some  brightly  colored  new  mat 
ting.  His  rooms  were  as  dapper-looking  as  himself.  Dr. 
Devine,  for  that  was  his  name  and  title,  was  sensitive  and  of 
an  extremely  nervous  temperament;  he  had  come  to  St.  Ag 
nes  to  try  to  build  up  his  health  and  strength.  He  angrily 
resented  any  undue  familiarity  or  reference  to  his  personal 
peculiarities  in  conduct  or  dress.  He  was  one  day  made  ill 
by  the  remark  of  a  teamster  and  remained  in  bed  two  days 
as  the  result.  He  had  on  that  day  appeared  upon  the  street 
in  a  collar  of  unusual  height  which  looked  as  if  it  might 
endanger  his  ears,  when  the  irreverent  truckster  caught 
sight  of  him,  and  called  out,  "  Helloa,  Doctor,  are  you  go 
ing  to  haul  manure?  I  see  you  have  your  sideboards  up." 

Dr.  Devine  was  fond  of  music,  sang  quite  sweetly  in  a 
low-toned,  womanish  little  tenor,  and  played  quite  cor 
rectly  arias  and  waltzes  on  the  guitar.  He  and  Dr.  Barton 
spent  many  pleasant  evenings  together,  in  company  with 
their  guitars,  and  often  this  comfortable  and  cozy  office 
was  the  rendezvous  of  a  number  of  lovers  of  music.  These 
little  gatherings  frequently  ended  with  an  invitation  from 
Dr.  Barton  to  adjourn  for  a  little  supper  at  his  house  next 
door,  where  would  be  found  on  the  dining-table  an  appetiz 
ing  round  of  cold  beef,  a  pile  of  French  loaves,  some  English 
relishes,  and  a  goodly  array  of  bottles  of  beer. 


146          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

One  moonlight  evening  Herman  met  by  appointment  the 
Highland  Scot,  Mr.  Macdonald,  who, —  the  sheep-shearing 
over, —  had  come  over  from  the  Island  principally  to  do  a 
favor  for  Herman  who  needed  his  advice  concerning  the 
character  and  value  of  a  band  of  cattle  a  client  proposed 
to  transfer  to  him,  upon  the  payment  of  a  portion  of  the 
purchase  price  in  cash  and  the  remainder  to  be  offset  by 
valuable  services  rendered  by  Herman,  in  an  intricate  trans 
action  involving  a  considerable  sum.  If  the  cattle  were 
worth  about  the  sum  they  were  claimed  to  be  by  the  owner, 
he  was  willing  to  accept  the  proposition,  though  it  neces 
sitated  his  borrowing  the  cash.  Macdonald  and  Herman 
arranged  to  go  the  next  day  on  horseback  to  the  range. 
Macdonald,  however,  had  an  important  act  to  perform 
in  the  morning  before  leaving;  he  was  to  surrender  his 
allegiance  to  all  foreign  potentates,  especially  the  Queen  of 
England,  and  enroll  himself  an  untrammeled  citizen  of  the 
American  Republic.  The  proceeding  was  a  greater  ordeal 
to  him  than  to  most  of  our  citizens  by  adoption,  and  he 
looked  forward  to  it  with  anxiety  and  distaste. 

"  I  will  never  go  back  to  Scotland.  I  have  quarreled 
with  my  own  people,  and  there  is  nothing  for  me  to  lose 
there  in  becoming  an  American  citizen.  I  have  a  deal  to 
gain,  as  I  intend  remaining  in  the  country.  Yet  I  dinna 
like  it,  I  dinna  like  it.  The  queen  is  a  fine  mitherly  old 
lady,  and  she  has  never  done  anything  to  hinder  me  from 
having  my  own  way,  and  the  government  is  gude  enou,  and 
the  people  are  free  enou,  and  I  would  not  desert  her,  if  I 
were  not  going  to  live  away  from  her,  out  of  her  kingdom; 
but  I  dinna  like  it." 

"  You  take  it  too  much  to  heart,"  said  Herman,  "  it  isn't 
as  if  you  were  doing  anything  to  injure  the  queen  or  her 
kingdom  or  subjects;  you  are  simply  acquiring  civil  rights 
in  a  nation  where  there  is  no  sovereign  but  the  people,  and 
no  subjects,  and  pledging  your  allegiance  to  this  nation 
under  whose  protection  you  are  going  to  live  in  the  fu 
ture." 

"  Yes,  it  is  all  right,  but  I  dinna  like  the  oath ;  it's  like 
swearing  myself  a  traitor  to  the  old  queen." 

"  Well,  said  Herman,  "  we'll  go  call  on  Dr.  Devine, 
at  the  end  of  the  corridor.  I  hear  him  and  Dr.  Barton 


HERMAN'S  LAW  CHAMBERS  147 

making  merry  with  their  guitars  and  we'll  have  them  play 
you  a  Scotch  ditty  to  cheer  you  up." 

They  were  heartily  welcomed  by  Dr.  Devine  and  his 
guests.  The  company  consisted  of  the  two  Doctors,  Mr. 
Sigismund  and  a  short,  powerful,  immensely  broad-shoul 
dered  man,  with  long  gray-streaked  brown  hair  —  falling 
over  on  one  side  of  his  broad  forehead,  giving  him  the  look 
of  a  dreamer  —  and  brown  beard,  and  bright,  sparkling 
brown  eyes,  with  a  soft,  low  voice, —  Mr.  William  ap  Wil 
liams, —  a  Welshman  by  birth,  an  American  by  adoption,  and 
the  owner  of  a  good  slice  of  a  rancho  by  marriage  to  a  native 
Californian;  and  sitting  against  the  wall,  with  his  body 
straight  upright,  veiled  with  a  pulsating  cloud  of  smoke,  ca 
ressing  his  biceps,  appeared  the  form  of  Mr.  John  Stuart. 

"  Come  in,  gentlemen ;  I  am  glad  you  called.  We  are 
having  a  little  musical  christening  of  my  new  matting;  but 
I  must  borrow  a  couple  of  chairs  from  your  office,  Mr. 
Thomas,  as  all  sitting  down  contrivances  are  already  pre 
empted." 

"  Hail,  hail,  the  chief  has  come,"  cried  Mr.  ap  Williams ; 
"  the  Island  Highlander.  A  greeting  to  you,  my  noble  Celt. 
How  are  the  flocks  and  herds  and  the  vassals,  and  the  blood 
of  the  choice  vines  of  San  Luis  Isle?  I  am  glad  that  you 
have  crossed  the  raging  channel,  to  rejoice  the  hearts  of 
your  comrades  of  the  mainland,  and  I  trust  that  within  the 
hold  of  the  schooner  that  bore  you  were  stored  some  casks 
of  the  vintage  of  which  I  have  tasted  and  too  generously 
shared  with  my  friends;  for  alas,  the  lees  in  the  bottom 
of  the  barrel  you  sent  me  have  just  been  reached." 

"  O  my  bonny  bard  of  Glenmorgan,"  replied  the  Islander, 
"  hae  no  fear;  under  the  ribs  of  the  'Meg  Meriles,'  lies, 
with  a  few  companions,  a  barrel  of  the  same  heft  and 
flavor,  only  softer  by  a  year  added  to  its  age,  which  is 
labeled,  '  For  the  Welshman,  William  ap  Williams/  and 
the  sailors  are  instructed  to  load  it  on  your  back,  if  they 
canna  find  anither  beast  o  burden." 

"  Mr.  Williams,"  said  Mr.  John  Stuart,  "  if  you  will 
send  me  word  when  your  share  of  the  cargo  is  ready  for 
delivery,  I  will  be  glad  to  render  my  assistance  in  trans 
porting  it  to  your  home,  and  will  be  pleased  to  give  you 
my  judgment  which  rests  upon  wide  experience,  as  to  its 


148          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

body  and  bouquet.  And,  by  the  way,  my  worthy  Governor 
has  just  sent  me  a  bundle  of  tracts  which  I  think  will  be 
of  benefit  to  you,  Mr.  Macdonald;  one  in  particular,  which 
you  might  read  at  sheep-shearing  time :  '  Let  your  heart  be 
free  from  wrath  and  your  tongue  from  profanity/  And  he 
produced  a  packet  which  he  gravely  presented  to  the  High 
lander. 

"  Awa  wi  them,  I'll  hae  nane  o  your  tracts.  They  have 
lost  their  influence  anyhow  in  your  pockets;  nobody  could 
be  pious  enough  to  read  them  wi  that  stale  tobacco  smoke 
under  his  nose." 

The  restless  eyes  of  Mr.  Sigismund,  in  the  meanwhile, 
had  been  traveling  from  Dr.  Barton  to  Mr.  Macdonald,  and 
from  the  Highlander  to  John  Stuart  and  from  John  Stuart 
to  the  Welshman  and  back  over  the  four,  scanning  each 
sharply  from  head  to  foot. 

"  It  looks  to  me,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  as  if  we  had 
four  Titans  in  our  midst,  in  anyone  of  whose  hands  should 
his  wrath  be  enkindled  against  us,  we  would  be  as  pipe- 
stems.  Mr.  Thomas  and  Doctor  Devine,  just  look  at  the 
physical  make  up  of  these  celtic-blooded  men  of  muscle. 
I  say  celtic-blooded,  for  John  Stuart  is  a  Scot  and  Dr. 
Barton  an  Irishman,  somewhere  back  in  their  family  tree. 
Mr.  Stuart,  would  you  kindly  let  me  inspect  your  anat 
omy,"  and  springing  from  the  high  stool  where  he  had 
been  seated  a  la  Turk,  he  seized  John  Stuart's  coat,  and 
with  the  rapidity  of  a  juggler,  had  it  off  before  the  owner 
had  finished  expressing  his  consent.  John  Stuart  wore 
no  waistcoat  and  his  underwear  was  of  an  ethereal  woof; 
and  the  rock-like  solidity  of  his  chest  and  the  great  masses 
of  muscle  bunched  upon  his  stomach  and  ribs  and  back,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  powerful  springs  in  his  beloved  biceps, 
could  readily  be  felt  through  the  gauze  texture. 

"  How  grand,  how  magnificent,"  cried  Sigismund. 
"  Come,  gentlemen,  and  view  the  thews  of  iron  and  steel  in 
this  colporteur  of  pious  literature." 

The  otherSi  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  subject,  each 
took  a  turn  at  examining  John  btuart's  muscular  develop 
ment,  and  each  expressed  his  admiration  in  glowing  terms, 
except  Mr.  Macdonald.  He  silently  inspected  every  mus 
cle  with  the  greatest  care,  pounded  and  pinched  and 


HERMAN'S  LAW  CHAMBERS  149 

wrenched  them,  John  Stuart  never  wincing,  and  then  simply 
said,  "  Nae  sae  bad,  nae  sae  bad;  but  if  you  want  to  see 
an  arm  to  wield  a  claymore,  look  at  this."  And  he  off  with 
his  coat  and  rolled  up  his  sleeve  and  displayed  an  arm  that 
any  swordsman  might  be  proud  of;  and  he  received  the 
compliments  of  the  audience.  In  the  meanwhile  Dr.  Bar 
ton  quietly  took  off  his  coat,  and  rolled  up  his  shirt  sleeve 
and  exhibited  one  the  like  of  which  Herman  had  never  seen. 
It  was  white  as  snow  and  smooth  as  polished  ivory,  and  the 
sinews  seemed  welded  together  into  a  bar  like  steel,  across 
which  a  plank  might  have  been  broken,  or  a  stone  crushed 
upon  it  like  upon  an  anvil.  Everyone  was  carried  away 
with  its  strength  and  beauty,  and  Mr.  Sigismund  danced 
around  in  ecstasy.  The  Highlander  looked  downcast  and 
disconsolate.  Suddenly  his  face  brightened,  and  he  pulled 
up  a  leg  of  his  trousers  and  exclaimed,  "  And  is  there  a 
calf  like  this  in  the  room?  If  you  come  over  to  the  Island 
I  will  back  it  over  the  hills  and  thrae  the  brush  against 
any  mon  you  can  produce  on  the  toughest  mustang  on  the 
ranch."  They  all  admitted  that  there  was  not  another  such 
leg  in  St.  Agnes.  In  fact  it  had  the  appearance  of  a  Zulu 
chief's  war  club.  When  Mr.  Macdonald  had,  chuckling 
with  satisfaction,  pulled  down  his  trowser  leg,  and  John 
Stuart  and  Dr.  Barton  resumed  their  coats,  Mr.  William 
ap  Williams  leisurely  arose,  took  off  his  coat,  rolled  it  up, 
laid  down  on  his  back  on  the  floor  and  put  it  under  his 
head  as  a  pillow,  saying: 

"  Gentlemen,  this  clinic  should  not  end  without  my  con 
tributing  to  the  instruction  of  those  present,"  and  hold 
ing  out  his  hands,  he  continued,  "  Dr.  Barton,  will  you 
kindly  step  upon  my  hands  ?  "  The  Doctor  obeyed  the  di 
rection,  and  Mr.  William  ap  Williams,  clutching  tightly 
each  foot,  slowly  raised  his  body  erect  and  then  stood  upon 
his  feet,  holding  the  Doctor  aloft  until  his  head  touched 
the  ceiling;  then  with  the  same  apparent  absence  of  effort, 
holding  the  Doctor  erect,  he  sat  down,  laid  back  upon  the 
floor  with  his  head  on  his  pillow,  and  informed  the  Doctor 
that  he  might  step  off*.  At  this  feat  the  applause  was  un 
bounded.  Mr.  Williams  put  on  his  coat,  rolled  and  lighted 
a  cigaritto  in  a  few  seconds  of  time,  took  his  seat  and  re^ 
marked:  "  That  is  nothing.  Why,  in  Wales,  it  is  a  com- 


150          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

mon  thing  for  a  man  to  lift  up  a  horse  in  that  way.  In 
fact,  they  train  porters,  and  have  platforms  made  for  the 
purpose,  to  load  horses  upon  vessels  by  this  means." 

Mr.  Macdonald  stood  a  moment  or  two,  staring  at  Mr. 
Williams,  and  then  said,  "What  a  wonderful  imagination 
you  have,  Glenmorgan,  what  a  pity  the  days  o'  the  minstrel 
hae  gone  by,  you  would  hae  made  a  brilliant  ane." 

Dr.  Barton  had  taken  up  his  guitar  and  commenced  softly 
to  play  Robin  Adair,  when  Mr.  Macdonald  pricked  up  his 
ears. 

"  Sing  it,  Doctor,  sing  it,"  he  said,  "It  is  a  lang  time 
since  I  had  a  breath  o'  old  Scotland." 

The  Doctor  sang  it  with  feeling  and  sweetness,  the  audi 
ence  listening  in  silence,  each  one  occupied  with  his  own 
thoughts ;  the  Highlander's  mouth  twitching  and  eyes  blink 
ing  in  a  manly  effort  to  conceal  his  emotion,  and  Herman 
transported  in  memory  back  to  the  old  opera  house  in  Dres 
den,  long  since  burned,  where  he  sat  dreaming  and  listen 
ing  to  the  same  air  in  that  beautiful  opera,  La  Dame 
Blanche. 

"  Thank  you,  Doctor,  thank  you,  but  it  upsets  me  in  a 
way.  I  wonder  if  I  am  doing  right  to  pledge  my  troth  to 
anither  than  my  native  land.  I  love  its  crags  and  glens  and 
lochs;  and  yet  it  has  always  been  a  cradle  o'  trouble  and 
sorrow  to  me,  and  drove  me  from  it." 

Sigismund  glanced  at  the  moved  Scot  from  his  perch  on 
the  high  stool,  picked  up  a  piece  of  red  wrapping  paper, 
twirled  it  into  the  shape  of  a  cornucopia,  with  a  long  point, 
crossed  his  legs,  fitted  it  on  the  end  of  his  shoe,  in  Mephisto 
phelean  mode,  pulled  a  piccolo  from  his  pocket,  and  struck 
up  a  Scotch  horn-pipe,  swaying  his  head  from  side  to  side, 
making  remarkable  gyrations  with  his  flying  fingers  and 
swinging  his  pointed  toe  in  time  with  the  spirited  air.  Dr. 
Barton  immediately  took  up  the  accompaniment  on  the 
guitar,  and  the  Highlander,  leaping  to  his  feet,  danced  it 
with  the  skill  of  a  true  Scot,  and  an  energy  which  rattled 
the  partitions  of  Pharmacy  Hall  from  one  end  to  the  other 
and  jingled  the  bottles  in  the  drug-store  below.  Dr.  De- 
vine  commenced  to  fidget  in  his  chair,  and  finally  arose, 
paced  nervously  up  and  down,  and  stopping  in  front  of 
the  strenuous  Highlander,  said  pleadingly,  "  I  beg  you, 


HERMAN'S  LAW  CHAMBERS  151 

Mr.  Macdonald,  not  so  violently,  you  know  the  matting  is 
not  tacked  down." 

"  I'll  tack  her  doon  for  ye/'  and  leaping  in  the  air, 
throwing  his  legs  apart  and  bringing  his  heels  together,  he 
came  down  with  a  rattling  clash  on  a  strip  of  the  new 
matting,  which,  gliding  along  the  floor  under  his  feet,  brought 
him  with  a  thud  upon  that  part  of  his  anatomy  that  received 
the  concussion  when  Peter  the  Headstrong  fell  at  the  battle 
of  Fort  Christina.  Springing  to  his  feet,  he  turned  to 
Dr.  Devine  and  apologized  for  his  roughness,  saying,  "  You 
must  pardon  me,  Doctor,  I  am  half  daft  to-night;  it  is 
the  last  time  I  will  sing  and  dance  to  my  native  airs,  under 
the  gracious  smiles  of  the  lion  and  the  unicorn,  and  I  dinna 
like  it,  and  I'm  not  myself.  Good  night,  gentlemen;  I  will 
leave  you  now  to  gentler  play,  I  will  meet  you  to-morrow, 
Mr.  Thomas,  as  we  have  planned,"  and  turning  a  deaf  ear 
to  the  expostulations  of  the  others,  he  was  off.  Herman 
walked  up  to  the  corner  of  the  porch  to  see  the  last  of  him. 
As  he  reached  the  main  street,  a  cow  with  a  bell,  pasturing, 
as  cows  did  in  those  days,  along  the  thoroughfares,  was 
tolling  its  way  peacefully  up  the  street.  The  Highlander 
gave  a  whoop,  leaped  upon  her  back,  and  dug  his  heels  into 
her  sides,  slapping  her  with  his  sombrero  and  yelling  like 
an  Indian;  and  the  panic-stricken  creature  ran  in  a  wild 
stampede  towards  the  Mission,  with  the  mad  Scot  on  her 
back. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

SWEARING  AWAY  HIS   QUEEN 

THE  next  morning  Herman  and  Mr.   Macdonald  rode  to 
gether  to  the   Court  House;   and   Herman  held  his  horse 
while  the  Highlander  went  in  with  his  witnesses,  who  were 
awaiting  him,  and  passed  through  the  ordeal  he  so  dreaded, 
without  anything  occurring  to  arouse  his  ire  and  turn  him 
from   his   course;    and    emerged   with   a   somewhat   deeper 
crimson  on   his   round  cheeks   than  painted  by  the   Island 
sun.     They  rode  off  in  silence.     The   Highlander   seemed 
to  wish  to  commune  with  his  own  thoughts,  and  Herman, 
never  very  talkative,  did  not  care  to  break  in  on  his  revery. 
Besides,  he,  himself,  had  food  for  thought  about  his  own 
affairs.     There  was  always  a  great  struggle  in  his  mind, 
in  business  ventures,  between  his  enthusiasm  and  his  sense 
of   prudence,   backed   frequently   by   advice   from   his   con 
servative  friends,  and  his  enthusiasm  generally  carried  the 
point.     In  reference  to  the  proposed  purchase  of  cattle  he 
had  talked  with  his  friend,  Col.  Morgan,  who  had  begged 
him   to    be   very    careful,    and    told    him   that    on    general 
principles   it  was   unwise   to   run  in   debt  to   go  into  this 
or    any   speculation   of   a   character   he   was   not   perfectly 
familiar  with  and  could  not  personally  supervise.     Herman 
reasoned  that  cattle  raising  was  the  paying  industry  of  the 
country,  that  if  these  cattle  were  what  it  was  claimed  for 
them,  he  would  be  getting  them  at  a  great  bargain  and  at 
the  same  time  receive  in  this  way  a  much  larger  fee  for 
his  services  than  he  would  otherwise  obtain,  and  be  per 
fectly  assured  of  it.     Col.  Morgan  only  shook  his  head,  and 
said  that  there  were  many  contingencies  to  making  a  pecuni 
ary  success  of  it;  that  if  he  would  look  into  it,  he  would 
find  that  those  who  made  money  from  this  industry  were  the 
ones  who  were  brought  up  in  it.     Herman  admitted  to  him 
self  that  this  was  sound  advice;  but  his  imagination  had 

152 


SWEARING  AWAY  HIS  QUEEN  158 

built  him  a  fortune  from  the  venture,  and  I  fear  that  he 
was  prepared  to  take  the  cattle,  even  though  Macdonald 
should  report  aversely  upon  them. 

The  Scotchman  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence.  And 
it  might  be  well  to  state  here,  that  Mr.  Macdonald's  speech 
was  of  two  varieties :  one  pure  English,  well  expressed,  with 
always,  however,  a  rich  Scotch  accent;  and  the  other,  the 
most  pronounced  Highland  dialect.  Whenever  he  was  ex 
cited,  and  that  was  most  of  the  time,  he  had  recourse  to  the 
Scotch,  which  he  poured  forth  most  volubly,  forcibly  and 
musically.  When  he  was  in  the  company  of  a  persona  non 
grata  he,  with  a  sort  of  maliciousness,  used  it,  and  woe  to 
the  man  who  ridiculed  it. 

"  And  so,  my  friend,  you  are  determined  to  go  into  the 
cattle  industry.  Well,  it  is  a  gude  business,  if  you  are 
careful  and  watch  it  closely.  You  must  never  starve  your 
calves ;  but  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  in  this  country 
where  they  have  no  dairies;  always  have  more  than  enough 
range;  never  let  any  disease  into  it,  and  if  you  are  like 
us  old  country  cattle  raisers,  always  providing  against 
dangers  in  the  future,  you  would  grow  some  hay  every  sea 
son,  to  help  tide  over  a  dry  year.  Above  all  things  keep 
raising  the  breed  of  your  mongrel  stock  with  thoroughbred 
bulls.  Another  thing  I  will  caution  you  about;  look  out 
for  your  neighbors.  If  you  don't  keep  a  lively  eye  on  them 
you  will  find  that  there  will  be  no  increase  with  your  brand 
on  them.  But  it's  the  sheep  business  that  is  the  most  satis 
factory  and  best  paying.  What  diseases  they  have  are 
easily  handled ;  they  waste  no  pasture,  but  glean  the  earth  of 
every  blade,  and  your  bands  are  not  thinned  by  neighboring 
depredators.  The  products  bring  gude  prices,  and  you  are 
rarely  without  a  market.  The  Basques  understand  the 
sheep  industry  better  then  any,  and  they  all  grow  wealthy 
in  it  in  this  country." 

"  I  have  yet  to  visit  your  Island,"  said  Herman.  "  I  un 
derstand  that  you  raise  both  cattle  and  sheep." 

"  Yes,  we  have  about  twenty-five  thousand  head  of 
sheep  and  about  five  thousand  cattle.  I  have  some  very 
good  horses  too,  which  are  my  own  little  speculation.  We 
also  make  a  little  off  our  vines.  The  wine  is  a  very  fair 
claret,  it  seems  less  heavy  and  is  softer  than  that  produced 


154  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

on  the  mainland;  something  in  the  soil,  as  well  as  in  the 
making.  We  have  a  Frenchman  who  understands  it  thor 
oughly  and  treats  it  with  wine  lees  from  Bordeaux." 

"  I  have,  like  many  others,"  said  Herman,  "  pictured  the 
romantic  delight  in  owning  an  Island;  the  independ^ 
ence  and  the  feeling  of  lordly  sovereignty;  though  I 
fear  that  life  upon  it  would  not  be  the  thing  for  me,  in 
clined  as  I  am  to  solitude.  I  would  be  apt  to  become  a 
hermit." 

"  Not  if  you  took  interest  in  the  duties  and  occupations 
it  affords.  I  myself  am  nane  too  fond  o'  company,  but 
I  never  could  be  a  hermit  on  the  Island.  When  I  am 
climbing  its  hills  I  am  as  happy  as  a  king,  and  I  think  I 
am  in  my  own  native  land,  and  it  does  my  heart  good  to 
share  the  enjoyment  with  good  fellows  after  my  own  heart; 
and  it  would  give  me  great  pleasure  if  you  would  pay  me 
a  visit.  I  think  I  could  divert  you  for  a  week  or  two,  and 
you  would  have  no  chance  o'  playing  the  recluse." 

Col.  Morgan  and  his  daughters  with  a  Mr.  Douglas  and 
wife  as  guests,  on  the  same  day  that  took  Herman  and  Mac- 
donald  down  the  coast,  had  arranged  to  drive  over  the  same 
route  to  a  little  town  some  thirty  miles  east  of  St.  Agnes; 
in  the  neighborhood  of  which  Mr.  Douglas,  a  scientist  mak 
ing  researches  on  the  coast,  desired  to  view  certain  geologi 
cal  formations.  Knowing  of  the  expedition  of  Herman  and 
his  friend,  Col.  Morgan  had  invited  them  to  join  them  at 
lunch  at  the  mouth  of  the  canon  where  Capt.  Seymour  had 
his  camp,  stating  that  he  had  also  invited  Capt.  Seymour  to 
be  with  them. 

Herman  and  the  Highlander  reached  the  spot  at  the  time 
appointed,  and  the  luncheon  had  just  been  spread  out  where 
there  were  a  number  of  convenient  bowlders  scattered  about 
serving  as  seats,  and  the  parties  sat  down,  with  appetites 
sharpened  by  their  drive  and  ride,  to  a  bountiful  repast. 

Mr.  Macdonald,  whose  Scotch  dialect  had  been  scarcely 
noticeable  when  talking  with  Herman,  resorted  to  it  in  its 
most  pronounced  form  while  at  lunch;  and  prompted  Mr. 
Douglas  —  whose  knowledge  of  human  nature,  except  in 
American  dress,  was  limited, —  for  the  entertainment  (as 
he  imagined)  of  the  others,  to  chaff  him.  The  Scotchman 
bore  it  good-humoredly  for  a  time,  rather  amused  at  the 


r  SWEARING  AWAY  HIS  QUEEN  155 

want  of  judgment  and  tact  of  the  joker;  but  as  it  grew 
personal,  it  could  be  seen  that  he  was  growing  irritated. 

"  Although  I  am  Scotch  on  both  sides,  the  Douglasses 
and  the  Dales,  I  am  mortified  to  say  that  I  have  read 
somewhere  that  the  Scots  sold  themselves  to  England  for 
a  penny  apiece.  Is  that  so,  Mr.  Macdonald?  " 

"  The  Douglasses  are  a  richt  gude  family;  but  the  Dales 
are  all  daft  and  the  head  of  the  Dale  house  is  in  a  mahd  house 
to-day.  I  dinna  ken  if  the  Douglasses  or  Dales  sol  them- 
sels  for  a  penny  apiece,  but  no  English  siller  ever  got  into 
the  hans  of  a  Macdonald,  unless  it  was  won  in  a  fair 
fight." 

"  May  be  not,"  continued  Mr.  Douglas,  "  but  the  clan 
Macdonald  was  not  so  scrupulous  when  it  came  to  lifting 
a  bullock  or  carrying  off  a  girl  from  the  Lowlands." 

"  I  suppose,"  replied  the  now  indignant  Scot,  "  ye  hae 
been  reading  in  your  scule  bukes,  for  ye  seem  to  hae  got 
not  much  beyon  them,  about  old  Donald  Macdonald  an  the 
ballad  o  Lizzie  Lindsay.  But  she  gang  wi  him  o  her 
own  frae  will,  an  if  the  auld  mon  tuk  a  bullock  or  two 
from  a  Lowlander,  it  was  owen  to  him  for  something  the 
Lowlander  had  done.  Ane  thing  a  Macdonald  ne'er  did; 
he  ne'er  insulted  a  gentleman,  a  stranger  to  him,  at 
anither's  table  an  himsel  a  guest."  Then  springing  to  his 
feet,  he  exclaimed,  "  An  to  think  ony  to-day  I  swore  away 
my  queen;  why  I  wudna  gie  a  bunch  o  heather  for  the 
whole  dahmed  country."  Saying  which  he  strode  off 
towards  his  horse,  stopped,  turned  back,  and  addressing 
Col.  Morgan,  said,  "  I  thank  ye,  sir,  and  your  gude  dochters 
for  your  courtesy  an  hospitality,  an  I  ask  ye  to  pardon 
me.  I  am  a  chiel,  or  rather  an  auld  foo;  but  I  canna  stan 
to  hear  my  native  Ian  an  my  clan  abused  by  ane  who  kens 
more  o  bukes  than  o  breeding."  With  which  he  left,  in 
spite  of  the  vehement  disclaimer  by  Mr.  Douglas  of  any 
intention  to  give  offense,  and  the  pleas  of  the  others  that 
he  return.  Herman,  excusing  himself,  followed  him.  Just 
as  they  were  mounting,  Martha  came  up  and  addressing 
gently  the  excited  Highlander,  said: 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  Mr.  Macdonald,  that  the  thoughtless 
words  of  Mr.  Douglas,  who  is  a  tease  and  practical  joker, 
as  his  family  and  friends  well  know,  should  have  so 


156  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

wounded  your  feelings.  I  can  understand  your  affection 
for  your  native  country.  I  have  been  there,  and  I  myself 
fell  in  love  with  its  storied  beauties.  I  can  sing  and  play 
a  number  of  Scotch  ballads,  and  some  say  almost  as  well 
as  if  I  had  learned  them  as  a  child  in  Scotland ;  and  it  would 
give  me  great  pleasure  to  sing  them  for  you.  Mr.  Thomas, 
I  know,  will  escort  you  to  our  home,  and  my  father  joins 
me  in  asking  you  to  come." 

"  You're  a  bonny  lassie,  an  a  thoughtful  ane,  an  I  will 
be  indeed  happy  to  gang  to  yer  hame.  Ye  must  forgie 
me,  it  no  takes  much  to-day  to  bring  the  blude  to  my  head," 
and  with  downcast  look  he  rode  away.  Herman  stopped 
a  moment  to  thank  Martha  for  her  kindly  words  and  invita 
tion  to  his  eccentric  friend.  "  It  was  a  gentle  act,"  he 
said,  "  and  will  do  more  than  anything  to  soften  him." 
Herman  then  joined  him,  and  little  conversation  passed 
between  them  until  they  reached  their  destination  about 
sundown. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

MRS.   TURNBULL  AND  HER   MEERSCHAUM   PIPE 

AFTER  leaving  the  lunch  party,  their  way  had  been  on  the 
beach;  around  jutting  points  and  along  steep  bluffs,  where 
the  stage  road  ran.  The  road  was  cut  into  the  bluff-bank 
and  fortified  here  and  there  in  a  rough  way  by  a  sort  of 
crudely  built  retaining  wall  of  cobblestones,  which  kept 
falling  down  at  intervals,  like  Pleasant  Reidrhood's  hair. 
It  was  only  used  at  the  crossing  of  the  points,  except  when 
the  beach  was  rough  or  the  tides  high.  At  other  times  the 
hard-packed  beach  sand  constituted  a  smooth  driveway,  when 
the  back-bones  of  those  undergoing  the  torture  of  thorough- 
brace  springs  were  given  respite  from  twisting,  jerking 
and  pounding.  Leaving  the  beach  they  had  followed  along 
low,  salty  flats,  lying  between  the  ocean  and  the  Coast 
Range  of  mountains  which  had  been  gradually  creeping 
up  close  to  the  sea;  then  rounding  another  point  and  cross 
ing  a  wide  river-bed,  over  which,  during  the  winter  storms, 
a  wild  torrent  rushed  and  roared, —  carrying  upon  its  breast 
branches  and  trunks  of  trees  and  debris  from  its  ravaged 
banks  down  to  the  ocean;  but  through  the  center  of  which 
a  hundred  feet  from  either  bank,  there  then  peacefully 
flowed  a  little  innocent-looking  river,  readily  forded, —  and 
had  entered  the  small  mission  town,  Santa  Susana,  the 
destination  of  Col.  Morgan's  party.  From  the  town, 
through  a  fertile  valley,  they  had  followed  up  the  river, 
until  it  had  narrowed  into  a  wooded  ravine,  which  opened 
out  at  the  portal  of  two  higher  valleys  where  the  river  wound 
around  a  miniature  promontory  on  which  stood  an  old 
ranch  house,  like  a  moat- fortified  castle;  from  there  across 
the  river-bend  up  through  a  natural  avenue  of  oaks  and 
sycamores  to  the  end  of  their  day's  journey,  at  a  small 
frame  house  like  a  Swiss  chalet,  in  a  grove  of  trees,  at 
the  foot  of  the  steep  mountain-side,  in  front  of  which  ran 

157 


158          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

a  picturesque  brook,  in  those  days  the  delight  of  the  trout- 
fisher.  This  was  the  home  at  that  time  of  Herman's 
friend,  Robert  McFarland.  A  tall,  long-legged  negro,  with 
a  face  as  black  as  coal,  came  out  and  started  to  take  the 
horses. 

"  Never  mind,  Jim,"  said  Herman,  "  we  will  attend  to 
the  horses.  I  smell  something  cooking  that  it  won't  do 
to  have  spoiled,  so  you  had  better  go  back  to  the  kitchen. 
Where  is  your  master  ?  " 

"  Mars  McFarland,  he  took  his  hound  dis  mornin  and 
went  after  deer,  and  de  way  de  hound  was  bayin  over 
dere  in  de  mountains,  he  got  somethin  sho." 

"  That  would  be  fine,  Jim ;  my  friend  here,  Mr.  Mac- 
donald  would  have  a  chance  to  taste  some  of  your  crack 
venison  saute  at  breakfast  to-morrow." 

Jim  grinned  and  returned  to  the  kitchen,  while  Herman 
and  the  Highlander  put  away  the  horses,  washed  and 
brushed  under  a  tree,  and  then  climbed  a  number  of  steep 
steps,  to  a  little  porch  on  which  opened  an  office  and  the 
dining-room,  and  sat  down  and  waited  for  the  host. 

It  was  not  long  before  a  sonorous  helloa  echoed  through 
the  canon,  which  was  returned  heartily  by  the  visitors.  It 
was  followed  soon  by  the  appearance  of  a  horseman  on  a 
buckskin  horse  with  a  deer  hanging  across  the  pommel  of 
the  saddle,  and  at  the  horse's  heels  a  hound  who  looked  as 
though  he  could  not  take  many  steps  more. 

"  Helloa,  Herman !  Ho,  my  gallant  Scot !  You  should 
have  been  with  me  to-day  and  you  could  have  sung  with 
fervor ;  '  My  heart's  in  the  Highlands ;  my  heart  is  not  here ; 
my  heart's  in  the  Highlands  achasing  deer/  " 

"  Indeed  it  wud  hae  done  my  heart  gude  to  hae  been 
wi  you.  It  is  a  long  time  since  I've  been  achasing  the 
deer.  We  hae  nane  o  that  game  on  the  Island,  Mr.  Mc 
Farland.  What  a  fine  dog;  a  true  thoroughbred.  If  there 
is  anything  I  ken,  truly  it's  a  fine  bluded  houn'."  And  Mr. 
Macdonald  stooped  down  and  caressed  the  hound  that  lay 
panting  at  the  feet  of  his  master  who  had  dismounted. 

"  You  are  right ;  Truman  is  a  thoroughbred,  and  an  old 
hunter  not  half  an  hour  ago  offered  me  four  twenty-dollar 
gold  pieces  for  him,  probably  all  the  money  he  had.  I 
will  tell  you  about  his  doings  to-day  over  our  coffee  and 


MRS.  TURNBULL'S  PIPE  159 

cigars.  Well,  Herman,  so  you  are  thinking  of  running  a 
cattle  department  in  connection  with  your  law  offices.  I 
hope  it  won't  be  a  bull  in  a  china  shop.  Here,  Jim,  come 
out  and  take  charge  of  this  carcass." 

McFarland  gave  a  shrill  whistle,  which  produced  a  Cali- 
fornian  boy  almost  instantly  from  out  of  the  elements 
somewhere,  to  whom  he  consigned  his  horse,  and  then  had 
resort  to  the  wash  basin  and  brush  and  was  dressed  for 
dinner. 

The  three  men  were  received  in  the  dining-room  by  a 
neatly  dressed,  sweet-faced,  venerable  lady,  with  snow- 
white  hair,  and  gentle  voice,  whom  McFarland  introduced 
as  Mrs.  Turnbull,  who  was  acting  as  housekeeper.  She 
presided  at  the  table  with  considerable  ease  and  dignity. 
Jim  had  provided  and  served  with  a  grin,  a  bountiful  sup 
per  and  one  which  would  have  charmed  any  Pennsylvanian 
or  Marylander ;  "  yellow  legged  chickens  and  white  sop," 
and  flannel  cakes  being  the  principal  features. 

The  male  partakers  of  the  repast  did  it  substantial  justice, 
and  the  oftener  they  asked  for  more,  the  broader  grew  the 
grin  on  Jim's  face. 

After  dinner  the  men  retired  to  a  little  sitting-room, 
where,  in  a  broad  chimney  place,  a  pile  of  logs  were  blazing; 
and,  scorning  cigars,  lighted  their  pipes  and,  at  Herman's 
request,  Robert  recounted  the  exploits  of  the  day;  and  I 
only  wish  there  were  space  in  these  chronicles  for  the 
graphic  description.  In  a  day's  hunt  the  sportsman  had 
brought  to  earth  three  deer  which  his  wonderful  hound 
had  trailed  to  death;  besides  following  the  fourth  until 
the  sun  went  down  and  with  it  his  remaining  strength. 

As  Robert  concluded  his  narrative,  Mrs.  Turnbull  came 
in,  and  space  was  made  for  her  in  the  circle  about  the 
fire.  She  sat  down  about  six  feet  from  the  hearth,  took 
from  her  pocket  a  huge,  beautifully  colored  meerschaum 
pipe,  filled  it  from  a  bag  that  would  hold  a  pound  of  tabacco, 
struck  a  match  on  the  seat  of  the  chair,  leaned  back  and 
sent  out  great  volumes  of  smoke,  every  now  and  then 
spitting  into  the  fire  with  a  "  tsit,"  striking  any  spot  on  the 
log  aimed  at,  with  the  unerring  precision  of  a  corner 
grocery  expert. 

Mr.  Macdonald  sat  with  a  look  of  wonder  on  his  face. 


160  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Robert,  with  a  glance  at  the  Scotchman  and  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  said,  "  How  long  was  it,  Mrs.  Turnbull,  that  you  lived 
among  the  Indians  ?  " 

"  We  were  in  Arizona,  with  plenty  of  Apaches  about  us, 
for  about  five  years,  and  in  Texas,  among  the  Comanches, 
for  about  ten  years/' 

"  Which,  do  you  think,  were  the  brighter  tribe  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  Comanches  were  the  most  artistic ;  they  had 
the  most  beautifully  prepared  scalps  of  any  tribe.  They 
cured  the  skin  so  that  it  was  perfectly  transparent  and 
shone  like  satin,  and  they  would  braid  an  old  man's  white 
hair  in  with  a  young  man's  black  hair  and  a  woman's  yellow 
tress  as  tastefully  as  any  artist  could  do  it.  I  have  seen 
a  robe  made  of  these  finely  cured  scalps,  with  the  different 
colored  locks  of  hair  festooned  over  it  like  lovely  garlands. 
Then  I  think  the  Comanches  have  more  originality  in  their 
tortures.  I  remember  once,  before  they  burned  him  at  the 
stake,  they  took  a  white-haired  old  man,  made  him  get 
down  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  drew  a  cinch  lined  with 
sharp  flints  as  tight  as  they  could  around  his  stomach,  put 
a  Mexican  bit  in  his  mouth,  and  rode  him  around,  at  every 
step  digging  the  spurs  into  his  flanks." 

Macdonald's  gaze  at  the  old  lady  as  she  spoke  grew  more 
and  more  intense,  and  his  eyes  bigger  and  bigger;  and 
when  she  stopped,  and,  with  a  "  tsit,"  put  out  a  spark  on 
a  log,  he  exclaimed,  "  An  did  they  never  try  to  make  a 
handsome  scalp  o  the  bonny  hair  ye  hae  yersel,  Mrs.  Turn- 
bull." 

"  No,  we  got  along  very  well.  My  husband  was  a  doctor, 
and  knew  more  than  an  Indian  about  herbs,  and  he  trained 
in  with  their  medicine  men,  and  helped  them  out.  He  used 
often  to  give  them  calomel  and  asafcetida  to  mix  in  with 
their  dried  lizards." 

As  it  was  growing  late  and  all  had  to  arise  early,  good 
night  was  said,  and  the  men  walked  out  to  get  a  breath  of 
fresh  air. 

"  What  an  estimable  auld  lady/'  said  Macdonald.  "  I 
ought  to  marry  her  and  introduce  her  to  the  gude  auld 
dowagers  of  Perth,  and  hae  her  smoke  her  fine  meerschaum, 
and  spit  out  the  sparks  in  the  fire  and  tell  her  beautiful 


MRS.  TURNBULL'S  PIPE  161 

Indian  tales  about  the  scalps  and  the  rides  on  monback." 

Jim,  having  finished  his  household  duties,  just  then  ran 
out  from  the  kitchen,  and  danced  a  hoe-down  on  the  road. 

"  Do  ye  think  you  cud  run  me  a  f ute  race  for  fifty  cents  ?  " 
said  Mr.  Macdonald. 

"  Sho,"  said  Jim;  "  shars  yer  coin?  Jes  give  it  to  Mars 
Herman  to  hole  de  stakes;"  and  Jim  and  the  Scotchman 
handed  Herman  each  a  fifty. 

"  I  dinna  like  to  win  your  money,"  said  Mr.  Macdonald, 
"  ye  mus  ken  that  I've  taen  mony  a  prize  at  a  fute  race." 

"  You  can't  beat  dis  niggah ;  de  pataroles  never  could 
ketch  me.  Mars  Robert,  jes  mark  off  de  fifty  yards,  and 
start  us  off." 

Robert  quickly  paced  off  the  course,  the  contestants  took 
their  places  and  the  word  go  was  given.  Jim  flew  over  the 
course  like  a  deer,  and,  reaching  the  goal  turned  around 
and  looked  for  his  competitor,  and  found  that  he  had  not 
started. 

"  That  was  nae  start  according  to  the  law  of  the  track," 
said  the  Scotchman,  when  Jim  had  come  back ;  "  ye  shud 
hae  got  down  on  yer  hans  an  feet  before  the  word  was 
given.  It  is  the  ony  fair  way  in  a  short  race  like  fifty 
yards." 

"Well,  I  jes  as  soon  run  agin,"  said  Jim;  "I  knows  I 
kin  beat  you." 

The  two  got  down  in  the  posture  prescribed  by  Mr. 
Macdonald,  and  when  the  word  was  given,  sprang  ahead; 
and  Jim  again  traversed  the  course  like  the  wind,  while 
the  Scotchman  made  a  scrambling  clatter  with  his  feet,  as 
if  making  a  mighty  start,  and  stood  still  watching  his  sable 
rival. 

"  A  fine  quarter  horse.  If  I  tuk  him  along  to  Scotland 
wi  that  estimable  lady,  Mrs.  Turnbull,  I  wud  be  the  social 
lion  o  the  day,  an  I'm  sure  the  queen  wud  let  go  her  favorite 
Tom  Thumb,  and  sen  for  me  an  my  family." 

Jim  returned,  looking  sullen,  and  said,  "  Yer  jes  foolin 
me,  you  didn't  mean  to  run.  You  know  it  was  no  use  tryin 
to  beat  a  niggah  dat  had  run  away  from  de  pataroles  as 
often  as  dis  niggah  has." 

"  Mr.  Thomas,  ye  can  turn  over  the  stakes  to  the  lad. 


162  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

I  had  noe  the  heart  to  beat  him  after  the  fine  dinner  he 
gae  us,  although  I  did  eat  too  much,  which  gae  me  the 
pain  in  the  stomach  that  doubled  me  up  when  Mr.  Mc- 
Farland  gae  the  word  to  go." 


CHAPTER  XX 

CHAPULE    AND    CHOLO 

JUST  before  starting  the  next  morning,  Mr.  Macdonald  and 
Herman  stood  looking  at  a  band  of  goats,  way  up  the 
mountain-side,  browsing  where  it  was  almost  impossible 
for  a  man  to  walk  or  climb.  Jim,  seeing  them  interested 
in  the  movements  of  these  mountain  climbers  came  up  and 
said: 

"  Dem  goats  belonged  to  me.  I  raised  em.  I  sold  em 
de  oder  day  to  a  stranger  for  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  head. 
He  done  tried  to  ketch  em,  and  he  had  de  impudence  to 
come  and  ask  me  to  deliver  em.  I  told  him  he  knowed 
nuffin  about  de  laws  of  dis  country;  dat  I  sold  dem  goats 
on  de  hoof,  and  he  had  to  ketch  em  himself.  Yah,  yah, 
he'd  have  to  git  a  better  buckquero'n  grows  around  dis 
county.  And  what  do  you  think  Mars  Robert  done?  He 
went'n  bought  dem  goats  back  from  de  man,  and  told  me 
I  was  a  damned  black  scoundrel.  Yah,  yah." 

Robert  volunteered  to  accompany  Herman  and  Macdonald 
and  take  a  look  at  the  cattle,  of  which  he  had  a  general 
knowledge  from  being  present  at  rodeos.  They  were  on 
a  range  in  the  hills  about  five  miles  from  Robert's  house. 
Their  way  lay  up  the  river,  quite  different  looking  from 
what  it  appeared  where  at  its  mouth  it  flowed  through 
its  broad  bed  into  the  ocean;  here,  up  among  the  mountains, 
it  was  a  pure,  clear,  sparkling  stream  where  the  trout 
flashed  in  the  sunlight  and  lay  resting  in  deep-shaded 
pools.  The  stream  led  them  through  a  picturesque  valley, 
gradually  narrowing  until  it  became  a  wooded  ravine.  The 
range  stretched  from  one  bank  of  the  stream  up  from 
where  the  valley  turned  to  canon;  over  slopes  partitioned 
with  cool  shady  ravines,  into  the  mountains,  and  affording, 
in  ordinary  seasons,  good  feed  for  the  cattle.  The  ride 
was  an  enjoyable  one  to  the  horsemen.  They  were  full  of 
life  and  spirits;  the  weather  was  cool  and  bracing.  They 

163 


164.          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

had  been  fortified  with  a  substantial  breakfast  of  venison 
and  hot  rolls,  and  Robert  had  furnished  fresh  horses, 
letting  those  of  Macdonald  and  Herman  rest  for  the  ride 
that  night  back  to  St.  Agnes.  They  joked  and  laughed, 
told  stories  and  sang  and  shouted,  and  the  Highlander  said 
he  had  not  met  "  Sic  fine  lads  and  gude  fellows  "  since 
he  left  his  native  land. 

Reaching  a  little  eminence,  they  caught  sight  of  the 
cattle,  bunched  in  a  small  valley.  The  owner  had  caused 
all  that  could  be  gotten  at  without  a  general  rodeo  to  be 
rounded  up.  They  constituted  the  major  part  of  the  band 
and  were  sufficient  to  enable  the  experts  to  judge  their 
character,  condition  and  value.  Everyone  said  and  Her 
man  himself  knew,  from  his  business  intercourse  with  the 
owner,  that  his  word  could  be  relied  upon  as  to  their 
number  and  ages.  He  was  a  Basque  of  superior  type;  tall, 
splendidly  built,  with  a  face  expressive  of  honesty  and 
frankness.  His  name  was  unpronounceable,  and  he  was 
called  by  everyone  Bebeleche,  or  Milk  Drinker.  He  re 
ceived  his  name  because  of  his  fondness  for  milk  and  the 
quantities  of  it  he  drank.  He  always  kept  milch-cows, 
contrary  to  the  custom  of  Californian  rancheros,  who  let 
the  calves  do  all  the  milking,  and  he  was  instrumental  in 
introducing  the  luxury  into  the  domestic  economy  of  some 
of  the  progressive  landed  proprietors ;  more  because  of  their 
desire  to  properly  entertain  Bebeleche  than  for  their  own 
gratification.  When  thirsty,  Bebeleche  would  empty  a  great 
pitcher  of  this,  his  favorite  refreshment,  at  one  draught. 
Bebeleche  was  seated  on  his  horse,  at  rest,  with  one  leg 
over  the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  smoking  a  cigaritto  and 
eyeing  the  cattle;  occasionally  addressing  a  word  to  one 
or  the  other  of  his  two  vaqueros  who,  mounted  on  shaggy 
haired,  little  mustangs,  smoked  and  rested  nearby.  A  few 
paces  from  where  they  stood  was  the  dwelling  house  of 
the  major-domo,  a  roughly  constructed  wooden  cabin  with 
two  rooms,  decorated  with  festoons  of  chili  peppers,  and 
in  which  were  some  cots  with  blankets  spread  on  them. 
It  was  located  in  a  shady  spot  near  a  spring.  On  one 
side  the  house  was  a  large  bowlder  into  which  had  been 
hewn  a  chimney-place;  and  ornamenting  the  rock  were  a 
frying  pan  and  some  other  primitive  cooking  implements,, 


CHAPULE  AND  CHORSO 


CHAPULE  AND  CHOLO  165 

and  certain  little  ashes-crowned  pits  around  about  indicated 
where  a  bull's  head  had  been  baked  or  potatoes  roasted. 
The  two  vaqueros  were  in  marked  contrast  with  each 
other.  One,  called  Cholo,  was  a  fat,  greasy  looking  native, 
with  oily  face,  thick  lips  and  sleepy  eyes  hiding  under  a 
hedge  of  shaggy  eyebrows;  his  cheeks,  complexion  and  taci 
turn  nature,  displaying  the  predominence  of  Indian  blood. 
He  said  very  little,  and  the  few  words  uttered  were  ac 
companied  with  grunts;  and  he  had  a  peculiar  habit  of 
blowing  columns  of  cigaritto  smoke  from  his  nostrils,  at 
the  same  time  turning  up  his  nose  and  giving  a  partially 
smothered  snort.  He  was  bow-legged  from  spending  most 
of  his  life  in  the  saddle.  He  was  a  good  vaquero,  doing  his 
work  without  any  sign  of  spirit  or  interest,  with  never  a 
smile  on  his  face.  The  other  was  a  most  curiously  shaped 
creature.  He  was  an  emaciated  little  man,  with  long  legs 
and  doubled-up  body,  and  a  pinched  face  and  small  head, 
resembling  a  hickory-nut.  His  complexion  was  bloodless 
and  had  a  queer  light-green  tinge  on  it.  When  he  was 
afoot  he  seemed  to  hop  rather  than  walk,  and  when  mounted 
he  leaped  in  the  saddle  with  a  motion  eccentric  to  the 
horse's  canter.  Not  unlike  a  grasshopper  in  looks,  he 
went  by  the  name  of  Chapule.  He  had,  when  a  boy,  fol 
lowed  around  a  Yankee  peddler,  who  had  struck  the  Cali 
fornia  cow-counties,  and  mimicked  him,  among  other  things, 
in  his  constant  whittling  and  infeterate  talking. 

As  soon  as  our  friends  came  into  view,  they  were  spied  by 
Bebeleche.  and  he  rode  to  meet  them.  He  welcomed 
Robert  and  Herman  warmly;  the  latter  with  what  seemed 
an  affectionate  kindliness,  and,  having  been  introduced, 
shook  hands  cordially  with  Mr.  Macdonald. 

"  So  you  have  come,  gentlemen,  to  see  the  kind  of  animals 
I  have  offered  to  sell  our  young  friend  here.  There  stand 
all  I  could  round  up,  and  Mr.  McFarland  and  you,  Mr. 
Macdonald,  can  quickly  tell  what  they  amount  to." 

They  all  went  down  to  where  they  were  gathered  to 
gether  and  rode  around,  scanning  them  critically. 

"If  there  is  anything  you  wish  to  know  about  them, 
I  am  ready  to  answer,  and  what  I  am  ignorant  of,  Chapule, 
my  major-domo,  can  tell  you,"  said  Bebeleche.  Macdonald 
turned  to  Chapule  and  asked  him  concerning  the  feed  and 


166          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

water  on  the  range.  Chapule  reached  down  to  the  ground, 
hanging  to  the  saddle  by  one  leg,  picked  up  a  stick,  pulled 
out  his  knife,  commenced  to  whittle,  and  let  out  a  stream 
of  words  that  appeared  to  overwhelm  the  Scotchman  who 
looked  at  him,  with  blank  amazement  on  his  face.  The 
faster  Chapule  whittled,  the  faster  he  talked;  Bebeleche 
and  Robert  exchanging  amused  glances,  and  every  minute 
Cholo,  with  a  jet  of  smoke  from  his  nostrils  and  a  snort, 
exclaiming,  "  Quiete,  quiete,  bruto."  Finally,  when  Bebe 
leche  thought  it  was  time  to  stop  the  torrent,  he  lassoed 
with  his  bridle  rein  the  stick  out  of  Chapule's  hand,  where 
upon  his  mouth  shut  as  if  he  were  stricken  dumb. 

"  A  wonderful  country,  a  most  wonderful  country,"  the 
Highlander  remarked,  as  if  to  himself,  "  and  sic  astound 
ing  people." 

After  viewing  the  cattle,  they  rode  to  prominent  points 
on  the  range,  and  the  boundaries  were  pointed  out  and  the 
watering  places  examined.  When  Robert  and  Macdonald 
had  gotten  all  the  information  they  required,  they  told 
Herman  that  the  animals  were  what  they  were  represented 
to  be  and  the  value  placed  upon  them  fair;  that  he  would 
be  obliged,  however,  to  make  a  success  of  the  investment, 
to  go  to  a  further  expense  in  getting  a  few  well-bred  bulls. 
They  also  said  that  he  should  be  assured  of  the  lease  of 
the  range  for  a  term  of  years  and  make  arrangements 
with  a  competent  man  to  care  for  the  cattle.  As  to  the 
selection  of  a  practical  major-domo,  Bebeleche  said  that  he 
could  recommend  Chapule,  whose  volubility,  he  said,  was 
never  let  loose  on  the  animals  or  indulged  in  without  an  audi 
ence.  Herman  interviewed  Chapule,  with  a  view  to  ob 
taining  his  services;  and  after  two  or  three  torrents  of 
speech  from  the  latter,  punctuated  by  numerous  snorts 
and  commands  to  "  Quiete  "  from  Cholo,  and  knocking  of 
the  stick  from  his  hands  by  Bebeleche,  an  agreement  was 
come  to  by  which  Chapule  was  to  take  the  cattle  and  care 
for  them  for  a  share  of  the  increase.  Herman  was  to  pay 
the  rent  of  the  range  and  advance  the  cash  for  what  little 
provisions  Chapule  might  require. 

Our  friends,  the  inquisition  being  over,  accompanied  by 
Bebeleche,  went  to  call  upon  Senor  Ordaz,  the  owner  of  the 
range, —  a  Gachupino,  as  were  called  those  of  the  Spanish- 


CHAPULE  AND  CHOLO  167 

speaking  population  who  had  come  from  old  Spain, —  who 
lived  at  the  castle  at  the  bend  of  the  river,  which  Mac- 
donald  and  Herman  had  passed  the  evening  before.  Sefior 
Ordaz  was  at  home;  as  he  had  passed  middle  life,  when 
all  the  rancheros  of  respectability  were  supposed  to  retire 
from  arduous  labor  and  thereafter  smoke  their  cigarittos 
and  drink  their  wine  and  aguardiente  in  their  own  pateo 
or  under  their  orange  or  olive  tree,  except  when  they  were 
on  a  visit  to  a  friend's  rancho.  They  were  cordially  re 
ceived  by  the  old  Spaniard  and  his  two  daughters,  and 
were  ushered  into  the  long,  barely  furnished  living  room, 
where,  as  was  the  custom  of  the  country,  the  whole  family 
gathered,  and  sat  and  watched  the  visitors,  if  they  did 
not  open  their  lips,  until  they  went  away.  In  this  instance 
the  family  consisted  of  Sefior  Ordaz,  his  two  daughters, 
an  Indian  girl  and  an  unkempt-looking  dog  of  unrecog 
nizable  breed.  The  girls  greeted  Bebeleche  with  friendly 
familiarity  and  immediately  sent  the  Indian  girl  for  a 
pitcher  of  milk.  With  the  others,  they  were  shy  and  more 
ill  at  ease  than  the  town-bred  sefioritas  of  St.  Agnes.  Her 
man,  with  Robert's  help,  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  a  sat 
isfactory  lease  from  the  Spaniard.  While  the  negotiations 
were  going  on  the  Scotchman  and  Bebeleche  were  enjoying 
themselves  with  the  young  ladies,  who,  as  if  for  mutual 
protection  and  encouragement,  sat  close  together  on  a 
bench;  and  each  had  her  hands  in  her  lap,  and  her  eyes 
on  the  floor,  except  when  they  gave  sudden  or  furtive 
glances  at  the  speaker,  and  then  at  each  other.  They 
understood  English,  and  it  did  not  seem  to  make  any 
difference  to  them  in  what  dialect  it  was  spoken  or  what 
its  grammatical  construction  was.  They  spoke  it  also,  with 
a  limited  vocabulary  and  an  attractive  accent. 

"  Do  ye  hae  mony  sic  fine  looking  lassies  in  this  county 
as  yersels  ?  "  said  Mr.  Macdonald. 

"  Si,  Sefior,"  said  the  oldest,  "  many  more  hermosa  than 
we  are,"  and  she  glanced  at  her  sister  and  they  laughed  and 
looked  down. 

"  A  wonderful  country,  a  wonderful  country,  I  mus  come 
doon  here  wi  my  bonny  gray  horse  and  the  beautiful  little 
mare  I  hae  trained  for  the  ane  that  wud  be  my  wife,  an 
my  siller  mounted  saddle  and  bridle  an  my  silk  riata, 


168  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

an  catch   an  carry  away  ane  o  these  fine  lookin  lassies." 

"  Oh,  you  would  not  need  your  riata,"  said  the  other 
senorita,  "  there  are  plenty  here  who  are  gentle,  and  if 
you  were  good  to  them,  would  go  without  lassoing." 

"  An  how  is  it  that  sae  handsome  a  mon  as  our  friend 
Bebeleche  is  not  married?  Hae  ane  o  you  lassies  a  tether 
on  him  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  they  both  exclaimed,  "  he  has  a  novia  in  San 
Francisco,  a  beautiful  Spanish  woman,  and  he  cares  nothing 
for  us." 

"  Now,  you  know  you  do  not  tell  the  truth,"  said  Bebe 
leche,  getting  up  and  giving  each  a  tap  upon  the  cheek, 
"  you  know  that  I  care  for  you  very  much,  and  that  I  am 
going  to  bring  down  from  San  Francisco  the  two  brothers 
of  my  novia  to  make  love  to  you." 

After  a  glass  of  wine  from  a  cask  that  had  evidently 
crossed  the  seas  from  old  Spain,  our  friends  said  good- 
by  to  Senor  Ordaz  and  his  daughters  and  Bebeleche,  and 
returned  to  Robert's  house.  They  had  an  early  supper 
and  started  just  before  sundown  across  the  mountains,  by 
a  picturesque  pass,  to  St.  Agnes.  It  was  a  bright,  beauti 
ful  night.  The  moon  was  at  the  full,  and  cast  a  weird 
charm  over  the  landscape.  It  crowned  with  silver  the 
mountain  crests  and  crags,  poured  a  flood  of  light  on  mesa 
and  valley,  and  hung  over  the  woods  a  brilliant  lantern 
with  quaint  lattice  work  screen,  turning  trees  and  rocks 
into  grotesque,  ghostly  forms,  and  casting  on  the  ground 
around  and  about  them  and  across  their  trail  before  them, 
swaying,  goblin  shadows,  which  seemed  in  the  wild  dance 
to  mock  them;  and  when  the  canon's  walls  narrowed  and 
the  trees  shut  out  the  sky,  it  hid  itself  with  its  magic  light 
and  the  darkness  was  deeper  and  denser  from  the  contrast. 
In  one  of  these  darkened  spots  they  were  descending  a 
steep  trail,  the  Scotchman  in  the  lead,  when  he  suddenly 
called  a  halt.  He  had  encountered  a  wide  crevice  across  the 
trail  at  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  cut  by  the  winter's  rains. 
He  prospected  along  the  bank,  the  dirt  and  stones  rattling 
from  under  his  horse's  feet  down  into  the  gulf,  and  finally 
gave  a  shout,  and  his  horse  a  tremendous  leap,  and  he  was 
scrambling  up  the  other  side.  Herman  could  see  nothing, 
but  gave  rein  to  his  horse,  who  followed  the  trail  of  the 


CHAPULE  AND  CHOLO  169 

Scotchman's  beast ;  and  at  the  brink  of  the  chasm,  gathering 
himself  back  upon  his  quivering  haunches, —  Herman  add 
ing  to  the  impetus  by  bending  forward  in  his  stirrups, — • 
gave  a  great  bound  and  barely  reached  footing  on  the 
shelving  bank. 

"  Weel  done  my  lad,  weel  done.  It  is  a  glide  little  beast 
ye  hae;  not  as  lang  bodied  and  legged  as  mine,  but  wi  a 
fine  spring  to  him,  and  a  deal  o  pluck.  I  mus  say  I  felt 
nervous  about  ye  when  you  tuk  the  ditch." 

The  trail  from  there  wound  up  a  steep  mountain  side 
until  they  reached  the  summit,  and  then  ran  along  the  crest 
which  grew  narrower  and  narrower  until  it  became  a 
bridge  where  two  horses  could  with  difficulty  pass,  with 
steep  precipices  on  either  side,  stretching  down  hundreds 
of  feet.  The  moon  here  shone  in  all  its  glory  upon  a  great 
panorama  of  mountains,  cafions,  hills,  valleys  and  wood 
land  and  deeply  impressed  were  both  the  travelers  with 
the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  scene;  and  every  now  and  then 
the  Highlander  would  exclaim,  "  Ah,  this  is  real  Heeland 
like,  this  is  real  Heeland  like."  At  about  the  center  of 
the  narrow  bridge,  Herman's  horse  suddenly  commenced 
to  buck.  He  was  a  few  paces  back  of  the  Scotchman  who 
was  about  to  pass  a  spot  where  the  trail  broadened  out  a 
little  and  where  a  scraggy  scrub  oak  on  either  precipitous 
edge  had  unaccountably  sprung  up.  Herman  dug  his  spurs 
into  the  animal  which  sprang  forward  to  the  flanks  of  the 
Scotchman's  horse,  and  holding  by  the  mane  he  slipped 
down  on  one  side,  calming  the  animal  with  his  voice.  He 
found  the  girth  had  become  loose  and  the  saddle  had  been 
slipping  back,  thanks  to  his  own  carelessness, —  as  he  men 
tally  exclaimed, —  for  letting  Jim  saddle  up,  instead  of 
doing  it  himself.  The  saddle  put  right  and  the  cinch 
tightened,  they  again  were  off,  and  no  further  incident  oc 
curred  to  make  more  eventful  this  moonlight  ride. 

"  Ye  need  nae  thank  me,"  were  the  last  words  of  Mr. 
Macdonald  that  night,  on  parting  with  Herman,  "  for  going 
wi  you  to  luke  at  the  cattle;  for  I  had  a  gran  time  mysel,  an 
ane  I'll  nae  forget.  You  mus  come  soon  to  the  Islan  an  I'll 
try  to  amuse  ye;  an  dinna  forget,  when  ye  gang  to  luke  at 
yer  cattle,  to  gie  my  love  an  respect  to  that  estimable  auld 
lady  wi  the  meerschaum  pipe." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A    MUSICALE    AT    THE    MORGAN'S 

THE  evening  the  Misses  Morgan  had  selected  for  a  musical 
entertainment  at  their  home  had  arrived  and  had  come  in 
a  most  gracious  mood.  The  sky  was  cloudless,  the  air 
balmy;  a  gentle  breeze  from  the  ocean  fanning  away  the 
remnants  of  the  afternoon's  heat  and  stirring  the  leaves 
of  the  trees;  and  the  moon,  just  past  the  full,  came  out  not 
long  after  the  twilight,  lighting  the  way  for  the  fashionable 
guests,  and  causing  the  romantic  ones  to  loiter  in  its  charms. 
The  assemblage  was  a  cosmopolitan  and  unconventional 
one.  No  formal  invitations  had  been  sent,  but  the  friends 
and  acquaintances  of  the  Colonel  and  his  daughters  who 
were  fond  of  music  had  been  personally  asked  by  one  or 
the  other  to  take  part  in  the  divertisement  as  performer 
or  listener.  A  spirit  of  ease  and  good  fellowship  pre 
vailed,  and  only  Mrs.  Stanley  and  her  son  seemed  unable 
to  drop  all  thought  of  self  and  mingle  freely  and  without 
restraint  with  those  present.  The  Baron  and  Madame 
Municheisen  and  their  little  girl  had  dined  with  the  hosts; 
and  that  afternoon  there  had  been  a  rehearsal  by  the  Misses 
Morgan,  the  Baron  and  Sigismund  of  a  few  concerted 
pieces  to  be  on  the  evening's  programme,  including  the 
song  Herman  had  written  for  Martha,  for  which  the 
Baron  and  Sigismund  had  composed  the  music. 

The  Colonel,  with  pleasure  and  benignity  lighting  up  his 
face,  moved  about  among  his  guests,  greeting  them  with 
gentle  words  and  tendering  a  cordial  welcome;  and  Martha 
and  Anna,  in  simple  summer  gowns,  were  handsome  pictures 
of  refinement  and  grace. 

The  doors  and  windows  were  open,  and  the  moonbeams 
crept  up  to  the  threshold,  and  the  dancing  shadows  kept 
time  with  the  music;  and  the  mystic  chorus  of  the  summer 
night's  choir  piped  and  chanted  from  hidden  recesses,  blend 
ing  with  instrument  and  voice,  and  bearing  their  notes  out, 

170 


A  MUSICALE  AT  THE  MORGAN'S  171 

away  into  the  distance,  until  they  died  out  in  the  universal 
harmony  of  nature's  diapason. 

Of  course,  Capt.  Seymour  was  present,  and  ready  for 
action.  Herman  had  caught  him  that  afternoon  deeply  in 
terested  in  a  collection  of  choice  selections  from  different 
authors,  among  which  was  "  The  Lady  of  Lyons."  He 
was  evidently  refreshing  his  memory  about  the  "  perfumed 
light  from  alabaster  lamps  " ;  Herman  having  told  him  that 
his  Bulwer  was  a  little  astray.  Dr.  Barton  and  his  guitar, 
John  Stuart,  Dr.  Vanderpool,  Judge  and  Mrs.  Freeman 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  ap  Williams,  were  all  there.  There  were 
also  some  young  ladies, —  two  of  the  old  Spanish  family, 
handsome  brunettes, —  and  a  stylish,  bright  and  merry  coun 
try  girl,  named  Nellie  Hatherton,  the  daughter  of  an  Ameri 
can  ranchero,  who  was  ever  ready  for  a  wild  ride  on  horse 
back  or  an  innocent  flirtation.  Two  English  friends,  a  Mr. 
Temple  and  Mr.  Bucknill,  in  from  their  ranches,  prepared 
for  an  enjoyable  time, —  away  from  their  family  of  vaqueros, 
their  dogs  and  cattle, —  among  their  equals  in  culture  and  re 
finement,  were  also  present.  Poor  Joe,  with  his  beauti 
ful,  plaintive,  pleading  tenor  voice,  was  one  of  the  invited 
ones.  One  of  the  late  arrivals  was  a  gentleman  of  about 
the  size  of  Mr.  Latour,  and  when  Herman  first  caught 
sight  of  him,  he  was  startled  at  the  resemblance  he  bore 
to  the  tenor,  Schnorr  von  Carroldsfeldt.  He  was  slightly 
bald,  with  frosted  blonde  hair  and  beard  and  refined  fea 
tures.  Col.  Morgan  introduced  him  as  General  Donaldson, 
an  ex-general  of  cavalry  in  the  Confederate  army;  a  friend 
just  come  to  St.  Agnes  to  make  it  his  home.  He  was  an 
officer  in  the  U.  S.  Regular  army  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  had  gone  with  his  state  when  it  seceded. 
His  present  profession  was  that  of  an  attorney  at  law. 

The  concert  commenced  with  an  opus  of  Haydn  for 
violin,  cello  and  piano,  played  by  Sigismund.  the  Baron  and 
Martha,  with  skill  and  expression.  Sigismund  had  evi 
dently  genius,  and  interpreted  on  the  violin  the  soul 
of  the  great  master,  and  his  coup  d'archet  was  perfect. 
The  Baron  played  witli  great  sweetness  and  feeling,  and 
Martha  showed  a  thorough  comprehension  of  the  motive  of 
the  piece,  admirable  training  and  wonderful  expression. 

The    audience    was    delighted,    and    applauded    enthusi- 


172  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

astically;  to  which  Mr.  Sigismund  responded  in  a  rapid 
series  of  graceful  bows,  a  flourish  of  his  bow  to  the  other 
performers  to  be  prepared  for  action,  and  then  started  the 
Beautiful  Blue  Danube,  and  played  it  with  such  delicate, 
languishing  sweetness,  and  such  perfect  time  (Martha  and 
the  Baron  accompanying),  that  the  young  people  sprang  to 
their  feet,  formed  into  couples,  and  in  a  moment  were 
gliding  about  the  room  and  out  in  the  moonlight  in  rhythm 
with  the  measure  of  that  most  seductive  of  all  Strauss' 
waltzes.  Stanley,  with  the  ease  and  polish  of  a  veteran  of 
the  ball-room,  had,  the  instant  the  waltz  started,  led  out 
Anna,  and  charmed  her  with  his  perfect  step.  Capt.  Sey 
mour  had  evidently  started  to  invite  Anna;  but  seeing  Stan 
ley  had  been  too  quick  for  him,  turned  aside  en  route  and 
offered  his  arm  to  Miss  Hatherton,  and  they  were  equally 
enthusiastic  with  the  other  couple,  if  the  Captain's  move 
ments  were  not  as  polished  as  Mr.  Stanley's.  The  waltz 
died  away  in  a  round  of  bravos,  and  was  directly  followed 
by  poor  old  Joe,  who  sang  "  Sally  in  Our  Alley,"  with  a 
touching  sweetness  that  made  Col.  Morgan  wipe  his  eyes 
and  blow  his  nose,  and  the  rest  sit  enraptured.  As  an  en 
core  he  started  up  the  old  familiar  negro  melody  of 
"  Dulce  Jones/'  nearly  everyone  present  joining  in  the 
chorus. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Stanley,"  said  Anna,  "  you  must  play  some 
thing;  your  mother  tells  me  you  are  quite  a  performer  upon 
the  piano." 

"  I  am  anything  but  an  artist,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am 
pleased  to  do  anything  Miss  Anna  commands,"  and  without 
further  parley  he  sat  down  at  the  piano  and  played  with 
brilliancy  a  concert  piece,  showing  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  technique,  without  a  spark  of  feeling. 

He  was  complimented  upon  his  execution,  but,  strange 
to  say,  was  not  encored. 

Next  followed  Herman's  song,  and  the  deep  rich  tones 
of  Martha's  mezzo-soprano  voice  carried  with  them  a  world 
of  tenderness.  The  refrain  composed  by  the  Baron  was 
exactly  adapted  to  her  voice,  and  the  obligate  of  violin, 
cello  and  piano,  arranged  by  Sigismund,  was  that  of  an 
inspired  musician.  These  are  the  words  of  the  sad-toned 
lay: 


A  MUSICALE  AT  THE  MORGAN'S  173 

The  mist  has  veiled  the  mountains, 
And  muffled  are  the  fountains 

In  their  lay; 
And  my  heart  is  drear  with  sighing, 

And  my  witched  thoughts  are  flying 
Far  away. 

The  sky,  in  rumpled  creases, 

Is  draped  with  gray  wool  fleeces, 

In  mourning  dyes; 

And  my  soul  'neath  clouds  of  sadness, 
Uncheered  by  sunlit  gladness, 
Prostrate  lies. 

On  the  shore  the  surf  is  seething, 

With  a  sigh  the  ocean's  breathing, 

Wakes  and  sleeps; 
And  my  bosom,  Ah !  so  weary, 

Nursing  phantom  forms  so  dreary, 
Throbbing,  weeps. 

The  doves,  with  mournful  cooing, 

Wakening  grief,  and  sadness  wooing 

To  woodland   strain; 
Conjure  voices,  chanting  weird, 
To  this  spirit  sorrow-seared, 
In  wild  refrain. 

Heavenly  spirit  break  the  wand, 
Witching  sky  and  sea  and  land, 

Setting  free 
Sunshine,  smiles  and  songs  of  glee, 

And  the  spell-bound  soul,  too,  free 
Of  mournful  me. 

Herman,  during  the  ballad,  stood  outside  leaning  against 
the  doorway,  his  imagination  carried  away  with  the  sweet, 
sad  air,  the  plaintive  accompaniment,  and  the  depth  of 
feeling  in  Martha's  voice;  and  the  thought  that  she  was 
pouring  out  in  song  his  own  inspiration.  And  it  seemed  to 
him  that  they  were  being  drawn  together  by  some  spirit 
of  harmony,  and  a  longing  came  into  his  heart  to  have  her 
life  in  some  way  woven  into  his  own.  He  went  in  and 
thanked  her  and  Anna, —  who  was  an  excellent  accompan 
ist  on  the  piano, —  and  his  friends,  the  Baron  and  Sigis- 
mund. 

Turning  to  Martha,  and  speaking  in  a  subdued  tone,  he 


174  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

said,  "  Miss  Morgan,  the  sentiment  and  feeling  with  whicti 
you  inspired  them  transformed  my  lifeless  lines  to  a  divine 
creation,  and  you  have  spoken  very  tenderly  to  my  heart." 

"  I  fear  that  you  are  in  a  romantic  mood,  when  you  would 
be  bewitched  by  a  sweet  melody  in  any  spot  from  any  lips. 
But  I  like  the  words,  and  had  they  not  some  charm,  I  could 
never  sing  them  with  feeling,  and  I  thank  you  for  the  great 
compliment  of  writing  them  for  me." 

There  were  a  number  of  other  musical  treats;  Anna  and 
Madame  Municheisen  and  Dr.  Barton  and  John  Stuart  con 
tributed  to  the  entertainment,  and  everyone  seemed  blithe 
and  laughed  and  talked  and  enjoyed  themselves. 

Herman,  to  indulge  in  a  few  moments'  revery,  slipped 
out  into  the  garden  and  quietly  walking  to  the  corner  of  the 
house,  caught  sight  of  Sigismund  and  involuntarily  shrunk 
back.  He  was  leaning  against  the  brick  wall, —  his  violin 
and  bow  grasped  tightly  in  one  hand  and  the  other  clutch 
ing  his  hair;  and  his  face  was  drawn  and  pinched  as  if  in 
the  agony  of  despair. 

"  My  God,  my  God,"  he  muttered,  "  why  cannot  I  con 
quer  this  demon  of  wild  unrest,  this  cursed  devil  that  leads 
me  on  and  on  ?  Why  cannot  I  stop  somewhere  —  in  this 
lovely  spot,  in  the  air  of  refinement,  with  warm  hearts 
about  me,  and  be  at  peace  ?  "  Suddenly  he  discovered 
Herman,  and  his  face  resumed  its  accustomed  expression, 
and  with  a  devil-may-care  mirthfulness,  he  put  up  his  violin, 
and  played  a  serenade  Herman  had  never  heard.  Gipsy-like 
in  its  wildness,  with  a  marvelous  delicacy  and  brilliancy  of 
touch,  the  notes  seeming  to  dance  and  sparkle  and  to  join 
in  a  mystic  minuet  with  the  frogs  and  insects,  and  ending 
in  a  wild  strain  like  the  cry  of  the  banshee. 

A  simple  supper  was  served  in  the  open  air,  and  some 
of  the  guests  sat  and  chatted,  sipping  an  innocent  cordial 
or  smoking;  and  some  strolled  about  the  grounds.  Mr. 
Stanley  seemed  to  have  monopolized  Anna,  and  Capt.  Sey 
mour  found  solace  in  the  vivacious  Nellie  Hatherton;  and 
Herman,  as  they  passed  along  a  neighboring  shaded  walk, 
heard  the  words,  "  perfumed  light "  and  "  alabaster 
lamps." 

Mrs.  Stanley  had  been  conversing  with  Col.  Morgan  and 


A  MUSICALE  AT  THE  MORGAN'S  175 

had  gone  off  for  a  walk  with  General  Donaldson,  leaving 
the  Colonel  with  clouded  brow.  She  had  been  talking  about 
the  superstition  of  the  country  and  the  ignorance  and  hypoc 
risy  of  the  so-called  religious  element  in  society;  and,  sup 
posing  that  in  Col.  Morgan,  a  man  of  the  world, 
she  had, —  if  not  a  sympathetic, —  an  interested  listener, 
had  given  vent  to  her  agnostic  ideas.  She  had  evidently 
read  a  great  deal  on  the  subject,  quoted  from  Voltaire  and 
Rousseau  and  Tyndal;  and  Huxley;  and  ended  by  saying, 
"  I  have  brought  my  son  up  without  a  creed  or  catechism 
or  religious  teaching;  and  have  trained  him  intellectually  in 
gentility  and  morality,  and  pointed  out  to  him  the  disgrace 
attendant  upon  the  violation  of  nature's  laws  and  society's 
code  of  behavior.  And  as  mind  and  reason  have  been  made 
to  comprehend  this,  they  will  control  what  vicious  impulses 
there  may  be,  with  far  greater  surety  than  blind  super 
stition." 

Col.  Morgan  had  simply  said,  "  I  am  an  old-fashioned 
man,  Madame,  and  probably  not  up  in  the  modern  philoso 
phy;  but  the  sacred  things  of  life  are  much  to  me,  and  I 
believe  that  the  early  impressing  of  them  upon  the  human 
heart  is  the  greatest  of  all  safeguards  against  the  tempta 
tions  and  evils  of  the  world." 

The  cloud  quickly  disappeared  from  his  face  when  he 
felt  a  little  hand  slipped  affectionately  into  his  and  heard 
a  sweet  voice  saying,  "  Why  does  Grandpa  Colonel  look 
so  unhappy?  Has  anybody  been  naughty?"  It  was  the 
Baron's  little  girl  who  was  very  fond  of  the  old  gentleman, 
and  who  had  crept  into  his  heart. 

"No,  no,  little  midget;  nobody  lias  been  naughty  to 
night;  and  especially  good  has  been  my  little  friend.  But 
you  know,  if  a  little  girl  must  sometimes  cry,  an  old  man's 
face  cannot  always  have  smiles." 

"Grandpa  Colonel,  does  that  gentleman  that  just  went 
walking  with  the  lady  who  has  been  talking  to  you  so^long, 
come  from  the  same  country  as  our  girl,  Gretchen?  " 

"  Why  no,  Midget,  he  is  an  American  and  Gretchen  is  a 
German." 

"Well,  I  think  Gretchen's  clothes  would  just  fit  him." 
"  Run  away,  you  minx,  I  am  afraid  you  are  naughty  now," 


176  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  off  she  bounded  to  have  a  romp  with  Sigismund;  a  mis 
chievous  smile  on  her  face,,  and  kissing  her  hand  to  her 
mother  and  father  as  she  passed  them. 

Not  long  after  midnight  the  party  broke  up,  with  sincere 
expressions  of  pleasure  from  the  guests  as  they  said  good 
night  to  the  Colonel  and  his  daughters. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A     CAUCUS     AT     THE     WIENERHALLE 

HERMAN  had  not  been  neglecting  Sefiora  Valenzuela's  case. 
It  is  true  he  had  done  nothing  towards  preparing  testimony 
for  a  suit  against  the  despoilers;  but  the  matter  of  procur 
ing  the  patent,  first  thing  to  be  accomplished,  was  progress 
ing  nicely.  Judge  Freeman  and  he  had  been  retained  to 
secure  a  patent  to  the  Pueblo  lands  of  St.  Agnes  which 
had  been  confirmed  to  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  the 
City  of  St.  Agnes, —  the  then  title  of  the  municipality,  by 
act  of  congress, —  and  confirmed  to  an  area  of  some  sixteen 
thousand  acres,  which  had  been  selected  and  finally  sur 
veyed  in  a  belt  form,  stretching  along  the  sea  shore,  about 
twenty  miles  in  length,  and  comprising  the  fertile  lands  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  right  to  have  patented  any 
Mexican  grants  or  concessions  other  than  those  to  private 
individuals  had  been  questioned;  but  the  final  decision  was 
reached  that  the  lands  held  in  trust  by  the  municipality, 
the  successor  to  the  Mexican  pueblo,  were  the  subject 
of  patent,  as  well  as  private  grants;  so  that  all  required 
was  to  get  the  Department  of  the  Interior  to  act.  This 
facilitated  and  made  less  expensive  the  procuring  of  the 
patent  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho,  as  both  matters  could 
be  attended  to  by  the  same  attorneys  at  the  capital.  He 
had  just  received  a  letter  from  Washington  advising  him 
that  as  great  progress,  as  red  tape  would  permit,  was  being 
made;  and  that  the  patents  would  soon  be  issued. 

The  time  had  come  to  give  serious  attention  to  political 
matters.  The  primaries  were  soon  to  be  held,  and  if  Her 
man  hoped  for  the  nomination  as  district  attorney,  delegates 
were  to  be  chosen  who  would  not  be  pledged  to  his  oppo 
nent  from  Missouri. 

About  a  hundred  yards  above  the  St.  Louis  Hotel,  Main 
Street  was  obstructed  by  a  long  one-story  building  facing 
the  ocean  which  stretched  across  its  entire  width;  and  back 

177 


178  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

of  it,  running  for  a  block  up  to  the  next  cross  street,  on  the 
right  or  north-east  side,  was  a  row  of  low,  shallow  build 
ings,  fronting  upon  a  narrow  thoroughfare,  with  sidewalks 
like  those  of  an  ancient  continental  town,  that  had  been 
given  the  name  of  "  Nigger  Alley."  On  the  one  side  of 
the  alley  were  a  string  of  shops  and  offices,  including  that 
of  a  venerable  Justice  of  the  Peace,  originally  from  Mis 
sissippi;  and  on  the  other,  private  houses  of  the  poorer 
classes  of  native  Californians ;  some  not  of  the  most  re 
spectable.  The  house  in  the  main  street  was  occupied  by 
a  German  as  a  lager  beer  saloon  and  dwelling  house.  He 
had  a  couple  of  large  rooms  for  the  accommodation  of  his 
customers  in  which  were  beer  tables  and  chairs  in  number 
sufficient  to  supply  the  requirements  of  quite  a  large  con 
gregation  on  holidays  and  special  occasions,  when  he  was 
sure  to  be  well  patronized.  It  was  a  quiet,  orderly  resort, 
where  little  else  than  beer  and  German  wines  were  dis 
pensed,  and  was  never  frequented  by  the  politicians, 
gamblers  and  sporting  characters  who  were  the  customary 
loungers  of  the  American  Hotel.  The  proprietor  was  a 
short,  muscular  man  with  a  round  head  and  invisible  neck, 
who  was  either  moving  about  in  spasmodic  spurts,  or  sitting 
the  picture  of  inert  stolidity,  absorbing  the  news  from  some 
German  periodical  a  couple  of  months  old.  In  these  qui 
escent  moments,  he  would  suddenly  be  impressed  with  the 
idea  that  there  was  not  enough  beer  on  tap  to  satisfy  the  ac 
cruing  thirst  of  his  guests;  and  throwing  the  journal  into 
a  corner,  he  would  dart  to  the  end  of  the  counter,  where  the 
full  kegs  stood,  whisk  one  out  to  the  center  of  the  room, 
seize  a  spigot  and  mallet,  and  with  his  legs  wide  apart 
and  dancing  on  his  toes,  putting  the  spigot  on  the  plug, 
he  would  deliver  a  series  of  little  taps  until  his  sensitive 
and  experienced  hand  felt  the  plug  about  to  make  its  exit, 
when,  with  a  mighty  blow,  he  would  send  the  spigot  home 
with  a  quash,  before  the  precious  fluid  had  time  to  escape. 
When  he  was  sober,  which  was  the  greater  part  of  the  time, 
he  was  quiet,  peaceful  and  gentle  in  his  address,  and  de 
lighted  in  talking  of  his  life  in  the  mines;  but  when  he  ex 
ceeded  his  customary  allowance,  he  was  obstinate,  conten 
tious  and  bellicose,  and  would  stand,  with  dilated  eyes  in 
front  of  the  one  with  whom  he  was  disputing,  leaping  before 


A  CAUCUS  AT  THE  WIENERHALLE         179 

him  which  ever  way  he  turned,,  his  arms  glued  to  his  sides, 
and  emphasizing  his  words  by  dancing  up  and  down. 
Wienerhalle,  as  it  had  been  christened,  was  a  favorite  loung 
ing  place  on  dull  evenings  for  Sigismund,  Dr.  Vanderpool, 
Capt.  Seymour  and  Herman,  where  they  could  have  a 
quiet  chat  and  an  innocent  game  of  pedro. 

It  was  here,  on  a  midsummer  evening,  that  a  number  of 
Herman's  friends  had  arranged  to  meet  him  and  plan  for 
the  campaign.  They  were  pretty  sure  of  not  being  in 
truded  upon,  and  Hans  Hoefling,  the  proprietor,  was  dis 
cretion  itself,  as  well  as  being  Herman's  true  friend.  The 
hour  fixed  for  the  meeting  was  eight  o'clock;  but  it  was  a 
quarter  past  eight  when  Col.  Morgan,  the  first  to  arrive,  put 
in  an  appearance,  and  afterwards  the  others  came  straggling 
along  until  nine  o'clock,  when  the  council  began  its  business. 
At  St.  Agnes,  and  indeed,  throughout  Southern  California, 
about  a  half -hour  leeway  was  always  given  to  keep  an 
appointment.  This,  and  the  universal  habit  of  procras 
tinating,  or  putting  off  everything  to  be  done  until  "  man- 
ana,"  was  at  first  quite  perplexing  to  Herman  who  had 
been  trained  in  a  New  York  law  office  to  meet  engage 
ments  at  the  moment  of  the  time  set,  and  where  failure 
to  be  on  hand,  lost  the  appointment.  In  fact,  in  this  land 
of  "  go  when  you  will  and  do  as  you  please,"  appointments 
were  like  due  bills,  to  be  met  if,  and  when,  convenient. 
Herman  already  had  personal  experience  in  this  character 
istic  of  the  native  population.  A  Senor  Calderon  had  been 
sent  to  Sacramento  to  represent  the  people  of  his  county 
in  the  state  legislature  as  member  of  the  Assembly.  Dur 
ing  a  session  of  this  body,  a  piece  of  legislation  which  would 
have  been  extremely  detrimental  to  the  county  was  proposed, 
and  Herman,  with  his  friend,  Robert,  had  been  delegated 
to  go  to  the  capital  and  defeat  it,  if  possible.  They  called 
upon  Mr.  Calderon  and  discussed  the  matter  with  him,  and 
desiring  to  display  their  hospitality  and  good  fellowship, 
invited  him  to  breakfast  with  them  and  the  member  of  the 
senate  at  noon  of  the  following  day.  The  noon  hour  arrived 
and  a  few  moments  later,  the  senator,  who  understood  and 
obeyed  social  obligations,  and  who  some  years  later  be 
came  governor  of  California,  appeared.  There  were  no 
signs  of  the  assemblyman.  The  party  waited,  not  without 


180  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

impatience, —  for  the  nourishment  of  the  morning's  cup  of 
coffee  was  fast  disappearing  (besides,  Herman  had  ordered 
a  special  repast) , —  until  one  o'clock,  when  they  proceeded  to 
breakfast  without  him.  That  evening  Herman  met  Cal- 
deron  and  remarked  that  they  regretted  he  was  unable  to  be 
with  them  at  noon,  to  which  he  replied,  "  Oh,  I  was  not 
hungry." 

There  were  finally  present  Col.  Morgan,  Capt.  Seymour, 
Dr.  Vanderpool,  Judge  Freeman,  Sigismund,  Don  Ygnacio 
Vallejo,  a  Spaniard  of  intelligence  and  education,  and  a 
friend  of  Seiiora  Valenzuela,  connected  by  marriage  with 
the  old  Commandante  family,  but  differing  from  them  in 
politics,  he  being  Republican;  Dr.  Barton,  who  was  not 
much  of  a  politician,  but  dictated  the  votes  of  a  number 
of  parientes;  Herr  Lasalle,  the  sheriff  of  St.  Agnes,  Mr. 
ap  Williams,  and  a  well  to  do  Basque,  named  Jose  Maria 
Naj  alayaegua,  who  had  come  to  the  country  years  before, 
with  his  friend,  Dr.  Victor  Ustasaustagui,  and  conducted  the 
principal  store  in  St.  Agnes,  besides  owning  considerable 
real  estate.  By  reason  of  the  trade  he  was  taught  at  the 
foot  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  the  difficulty  in  pronouncing  his 
name,  he  was  generally  called  "  El  Sastro,  The  Tailor."  His 
friend,  Dr.  Victor,  had  grown  rich  in  another  part  of  the 
county,  and  both  had  taken  a  fancy  to  the  candidate  for 
district  attorney,  as  well  as  being  urged  to  his  support  by 
their  fellow  countryman,  Bebeleche.  El  Sastro  was  a  short, 
rose-cheeked,  smooth-faced  man,  with  a  large  head  crowned 
with  a  mass  of  snow-white  hair.  His  fingers,  never  idle, 
were  perpetually  rolling  cigarittos,  which  were  like  matches 
and  disposed  of  in  a  few  whiffs.  He  spoke  English  with 
a  crisp  accent  hard  to  describe  and  difficult  to  understand, 
and  always  commenced  a  sentence  in  English  or  Spanish, 
with  a  nervous  exclamation,  like  the  spit  of  a  locomotive  when 
starting,  "  etty,  etty,  etty;  "  at  the  same  time  balancing  from 
right  to  left  on  his  heels.  After  a  glass  or  two  of  ab 
sinthe,  he  was  a  most  voluble  talker  and  loved  to  discourse 
(tears  coming  to  his  eyes),  of  his  noble  progenitors,  from 
somewhere  in  Basqueland,  who  were  princes  and  heroes 
and  patrons  of  art;  and  Don  Quixote  had  not  a  higher  sense 
of  legendary  chivalry  than  El  Sastro.  And  he  himself  was 
a  hero.  He  was  the  only  man  in  the  country  known  to 


A  CAUCUS  AT  THE  WIENERHALLE        181 

have  cowed  the  desperate  highwayman,  Jack  Powers.  In 
the  early  days  before  El  Sastro  had  become  prosperous 
when  he  lived  by  his  trade,  the  brigand  had  ordered  a 
suit  of  clothes  of  him.  When  they  were  finished,  Powers 
made  a  protest  against  the  fit,  saying  that  they  were  made 
from  a  sheep-herder's  pattern,  and  refused  to  pay  the  bill; 
when  El  Sastro  unlocked  his  legs,  leaped  from  the  counter, 
and  made  for  him  with  a  huge  pair  of  shears,  shouting: 

"  Etty-etty-etty  —  you  no  pay  I  cut  —  estomach-out." 

Whereupon  the  astounded  highwayman, —  whether  from 
dread  of  the  monstrous  weapon  or  overwhelmed  with  the 
tailor's  assurance,  threw  him  down  three  twenty-dollar  gold 
pieces,  ten  dollars  more  than  the  bill,  and  fled. 

Mr.  Macdonald  was  not  on  hand;  he  could  not  leave 
the  Island.  And  he  had  said  to  his  chum,  Mr.  ap  Williams, 
who  was  returning  to  the  mainland  after  a  visit  to  the  High 
lander  : 

"  Tell  the  boys  that  I  am  like  the  centurion,  I  tell  my 
shearers  and  vaqueros  to  gang  and  they  gang,  to  come  and 
they  come  to  vote  for  this  mon  and  they  vote  for  him;  an 
diel  a  mon  o  them  will  disobey  orders,  for  they  ken  my 
Scotch  blude." 

The  sheriff  was  the  most  experienced  and  practical  poli 
tician  in  the  number.  He  was  a  candidate  for  renomination 
before  the  Republican  Convention,  which,  different  from 
the  policy  of  the  other  candidates  who  were  looking  out 
for  themselves,  did  not  prevent  his  being  ready  to  openly 
further  Herman's  candidacy.  He  was  a  manly,  outspoken, 
fearless  character,  and  always  made  his  fight  in  the  open. 
He  stated  the  situation  as  he,  to  use  his  own  expression, 
sized  it  up.  In  the  first  place  the  present  incumbent  of 
the  office  had  several  advantages;  he  made  the  fight  before 
and  was  familiar  with  the  ground ;  he  was  in,  and  this  was 
always  a  considerable  percentage  of  advantage;  so  far  as 
the  nomination  was  concerned,  he  would  have  the  squatters 
almost  to  a  unit  in  his  favor,  though  the  larger  part  of 
them  were  democrats;  he  would  also  have  the  saloons  and 
sporting  men.  All  this  would  have  to  be  overcome  from 
the  conservative  part  of  the  population,  the  land  owners 
and  the  native  Californians.  The  sheriff  was  willing  to 
stand  his  chances  with  delegates  that  would  support  Herman. 


182  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Each  one  of  those  present  controlled  a  certain  element,  and 
could  insure  a  certain  number  of  votes,  and  the  manner  of 
making  this  influence  efficacious  was  fully  discussed.  A 
number  of  names  were  selected  for  each  precinct,  the  lists 
to  be  weeded  out  and  perfected  by  the  executive  committee, 
after  a  thorough  canvass.  An  executive  committee  was 
chosen,  made  up  from  those  present  and  other  practical 
workers. 

"  Etty,  etty,  etty, —  Bebeleche  fine  man,  muchos  amigos," 
said  El  Sastro,  "  he  be  republican,  democrat  as  his  friends 
wish,  vote  republican  primaries  this  year." 

"  A  most  wise  suggestion,  Senor  Sastro,"  said  the  sheriff; 
"  he  is  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  can  be  elected  as  a 
delegate,  without  difficulty.  Indeed,  no  candidate  would 
dare  make  an  open  fight  against  him." 

All  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  ticket  should  be  quietly 
gotten  up,  after  the  sheriff's  ascertaining  from  other  candi 
dates  the  names  of  delegates  they  would  propose;  adopting 
such  of  them  as  would  not  be  antagonistic,  and  not  dis 
closing  Herman's  candidacy  until  the  last  moment.  They 
had  about  concluded  the  conference  and  Col.  Morgan  and 
two  or  three  other  early  retirers  were  preparing  to  go, 
when,  "tap,  tap,  tap,  quash"  came  from  the  adjoining 
room,  and  reached  the  quick  ears  of  Capt.  Seymour. 

"  Stop,  gentlemen,"  cried  the  Captain,  "  keep  your  seats, 
a  fresh  tap,  we  will  drink  a  stirrup  cup  to  our  friends, 
the  candidates,"  and  he  immediately  ordered  the  glasses 
to  be  replenished.  The  proprietor  was  asked  to  join  in 
the  parting  salute,  and  Herr  Lasalle  who  had  noticed  that 
he  had  been  exceeding  his  limit,  and  desiring  to  have  a 
little  sport  at  his  countryman's  expense,  after  the  stirrup 
cup  had  been  emptied,  said  "  Noch  eins,  Hoefling,  to  the 
memory  of  our  mining  days." 

Herr  Hoefling  was  only  too  willing  to  respond;  the 
final  glass  stiffening  his  person  and  starting  his  eyes  staring. 

"  What  is  this  story  that  old  Witte  tells  of  your  having 
to  get  out  of  Redman's  Gulch  mining  camp  inside  of  an 
hour?"  said  Herr  Lasalle,  turning  around  his  chair  and 
facing  Hans;  and,  as  the  conversation  went  on,  moving  his 
chair  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  causing  the  irate  pro 
prietor  to  leap  from  side  to  side,  so  as  to  confront  him. 


A  CAUCUS  AT  THE  WIENERHALLE         183 

"  Me  had  to  leave  camp,  me  had  to  get  out  in  an  hour? 
Donnerwetter;  no  mining  camp  ever  served  walking  papers 
on  me ;  it's  a  lie,  a  verdant  lie,  und  Witte  is  an  old  Frau  mit 
a  lying  tongue,"  and  Hans  danced  up  and  down  with  his 
arms  pressed  to  his  sides,  a  beer  glass  in  each  hand. 

"  Well,  never  mind,  Hans,  never  mind ;  old  Witte  got  it 
wrong,  I  always-  heard  you  left  camp  because  when  you 
struck  a  paying  claim  you  were  not  strong  enough  to  work 

"  Not  strong  enough  to  work  it?  Donnerwetter 
nochemal!  When  I  was  in  die  mines,  nobody  could  handle 
a  pick  better  than  me,  und  I  could  do  more  work  in  a  day 
than  you  und  George  Hearst  put  together,  even  if  I  didn't 
get  rich. 

"  I  have  no  doubt,  Hans,"  said  Mr.  ap  Williams,  "  you 
were  a  pretty  fair  miner,  but  you  will  have  to  admit  that 
no  German  can  come  up  to  a  Welsh  miner  when  it  comes 
to  wielding  a  pick  and  shovel,  and  lifting  rocks.  I  knew 
miners  in  Wales,  any  one  of  whom  would  dig  out  and  roll 
away  bowlders  weighing  half  a  ton  the  same  as  you  would 
tap  a  .fresh  beer  keg." 

Hans  darted  in  front  of  the  Welshman,  his  face  red 
as  a  beet  and  his  eyes  nearly  starting  from  their  sock 
ets. 

"  A  pretty  fair  miner  you  say:  there  wasn't  a  better  miner 
in  camp  than  I  was,  und  no  Welshman  ever  was  in  die 
mines  that  I  couldn't  lay  out  when  it  came  to  a  day's 
work." 

Here  El  Sastro  broke  in,  "  Etty,  etty,  etty,  why  talk  so 
much  about  mines.  Etty,  etty,  why  get  mad  about  dirty 
holes  you  dig  in  ground.  Etty,  etty,  my  family,  fine  family, 
noble;  never  dig  holes  in  ground;  big  soldiers,  princes, 
heroes;  write  fine  books,  paint  beautiful  pictures;  all  dead, 
big  funerals,  fine  coffins.  Etty,  etty,  etty,  me  only  one  left," 
and  here  El  Sastro  wept. 

"  Hans,  stop  your  snarling,  and  take  out  those  glasses, 
and  bring  in  a  schooner  to  dry  El  Sastro's  eyes  or  I'll  ar 
rest  you  right  now,"  said  the  sheriff. 

Hans  stared  at  him  a  moment,  the  sheriff  keeping  a  stern 
visage,  and  concluding  he  might  be  in  earnest,  went  out 
without  a  word  and  returned  with  the  schooner  for  El 


184          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Sastro,  whose  grief  was  for  the  time  assuaged,  and  who 
submitted  to  being  piloted  home  by  Mr.  ap  Williams. 

The  council  dispersed,  and,  it  being  yet  comparatively 
early,  the  sheriff,  Sigismund  and  Herman  strolled  down  to 
the  American  Hotel,  to  see  if  anything  of  interest  was  going 
on  in  this,  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  of  St.  Agnes. 

The  scene  was  a  lively  one.  The  long  bar  was  lined 
with  people;  an  interesting  game  of  pin  pool  was  in  prog 
ress,  in  which  the  county  clerk  was  reaping  silver  dollars 
and  honors.  The  room  was  filled  with  loungers,  professional 
men,  shop-keepers,  rancheros,  vaqueros,  shearers,  and 
strangers,  arrived  that  evening  on  the  steamer  Senator;  and 
the  card  rooms  were  in  full  blast,  as  shown  by  drinks  car 
ried  into  them  from  the  bar.  At  the  small  carrom  billiard 
table,  Walter  Stanley  was  playing  with  one  Herman  had 
never  met.  As  they  entered,  the  sheriff's  quick  eye  had 
singled  him  out,  and  he  remarked  to  his  companions,  "  A 
new  sport.  Must  have  come  on  the  steamer." 

"  Yes,  and  the  worst  that  has  ever  put  in  an  appearance 
at  St.  Agnes,  or  I'm  no  judge  of  man  and  devils,"  said 
Sigismund. 

Stanley  bowed  coldly  to  Herman,  and  his  companion 
gave  him  a  glance  which  was  prolonged  into  a  stare;  and 
turning  to  Stanley,  asked  him  who  he  was. 

"  I  know  him  very  slightly ;  that  he  is  a  young  upstart  of  a 
lawyer  is  all  I  can  tell  you;  and  that  I  don't  like  him." 

Herman  had  looked  at  the  party  closely,  as  he  passed, 
and  could  not  resist  the  impulse  of  turning  every  few  min 
utes  to  glance  at  him;  and  each  time  caught  the  other's  eye 
fixed  upon  him.  He  was  a  man  not  unlike  Stanley  in  height 
and  build,  with  light,  thin  hair  cropped  close  to  his  head, 
which  was  bald  on  the  crown;  and  chalky  complexion, 
spotted  with  leather-like  white  blotches;  a  hard,  expres 
sionless  mouth  and  cold,  bleached-out,  protruding  eyes.  He 
had  a  deliberate,  snake-like  way  of  moving  about  and  car 
ried  his  billiard  cue  under  his  arm,  where  he  always  held 
his  cane;  and  never  was  without  a  cigar  in  his  hand  or  in 
his  mouth.  His  voice  was  as  cold  and  hard  as  his  mouth 
and  eyes,  and  was  pitched  at  an  inflexible  tone.  He  was 
of  a  type  that  Herman  had  often  seen  in  New  York  stand 
ing  in  front  of  saloons  and  gambling  places;  but,  somehow 


A  CAUCUS  AT  THE  WIENERHALLE         185 

or  other,  he  interested  him  in  a  curious  way.  He  and 
Stanley  together  seemed  to  equally  absorb  Sigismund's  at 
tention, —  more,  as  one  would  think,  as  a  psychological  study 
than  anything  else, —  and  his  interest  was  intensified  when 
a  third  stranger  joined  them,  a  medium-sized  man  with 
blue-black  hair  and  beard,  flabby  cheeks  and  hang-dog  ex 
pression,  clad  in  a  black  cloth  suit  with  long-tailed  coat, 
and  musty  looking  silk  hat,  saluting  them  as  he  came  up 
with,  "  Ow  are  you,  pals,  and  ow  are  you,  Buckley,  hafter 
the  trip  on  that  beastly  boat?  But  I  ad  a  jolly  go  to 
cheer  me  hup.  You  see  my  wife  is  a  beastly,  frog-like, 
cold-blooded  thing,  and  she  turns  hup  er  nose  at  my  friends 
and  hobjects  to  my  bringen  them  into  the  cabin  to  take  a 
drink.  So  I  says  to  myself,  I'll  settle  the  ag  and  ave  some 
fun.  Now  if  there  is  hanythink  she  ates  it's  gin  and  the 
smell  of  it  makes  er  hill.  So  I  gits  a  bottle  of  gin  and  I 
ave  my  friends  one  hafter  the  hother  take  a  glass  hof  it  to 
er  in  the  cabin  where  she  is  lying  down  with  a  eadache, 
with  the  compliments  of  er  husband.  At  the  third  glass  she 
jumps  hup  and  runs  to  the  side  hof  the  ship,  and  she  was 
hill  all  the  rest  of  the  way  and  they  ad  to  carry  er  down  the 
gangway." 

And  he  burst  into  a  loud  guffaw,  his  big  mouth  opening 
like  a  cavern,  and  his  tall  hat  shivering  as  if  struck  by  an 
earthquake.  Our  friends  looked  at  each  other  with  disgust 
on  their  faces ;  and  Sigismund,  who  had  his  back  to  the  pool 
table,  in  a  remarkable  way  tripped  suddenly  and,  falling 
against  the  table,  as  it  appeared  by  accident,  whisked  one 
of  the  balls  off  on  the  floor,  sending  it  between  the  feet  of 
the  cockney;  and  following  it  with  lightning  speed  he 
darted  under  his  legs,  caught  the  ball,  and  rising  suddenly, 
with  the  trick  of  an  acrobat,  threw  the  brute  over  his 
shoulders,  sending  him  head  foremost  through  the  glass 
door;  landing  him  in  the  stomach  of  Gen.  Peters  who  was 
just  about  to  enter,  telescoping  the  cockney's  hat  over  his 
ears  and  depositing  the  General's  yellow  plug  in  a  passing 
night-cart.  A  great  roar  of  laughter  went  up,  and  ap  Wil 
liams  who  had  just  come  in,  caught  up  Sigismund,  planted 
him  on  his  shoulders  and  marched  around  the  room,  fol 
lowed  by  the  crowd,  singing,  "  John  Brown's  Body  Lies  A- 
mouldering  in  the  Ground."  The  chorus  stopped,  as  the 


186  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

sheriff's  sonorous  voice  arose  proclaiming  drinks  for  the 
crowd;  and  Mr.  ap  Williams  deposited  the  hero  on  the  bil 
liard  table,  where  he  bowed  his  acknowledgments  with  the 
grace  of  a  prestidigitator,  and  then  leaped  to  the  floor  over 
the  head  of  the  Welshman. 

"  Damn  you,  sah ;  what  do  you  mean  by  running  your 
head  into  the  stomach  of  a  gentleman,  sah  ?  "  came  from  the 
shattered  doorway.  And  Gen.  Peters  and  the  scratched  and 
bruised  and  disheveled  cockney  came  into  the  room.  The 
latter  paid  no  attention  to  the  wrath  of  the  General,  but 
went  up  to  where  Sigismund  was  standing,  his  eyes  glaring 
and  the  blood  trickling  down  from  the  cuts  in  his  face ;  and 
shaking  his  fists,  bellowed,  "  It's  a  houtrage,  it's  a  bloody 
houtrage;  you  did  it  purposely,  I  know  you  did.  It's  an 
'ell  of  a  houtrage,  and  I'll  make  you  pay  for  it." 

"  Shut  up  that  ugly  mouth  of  yours,  or  I'll  jail  you,  as 
sure  as  I  stand  here;'*  and  the  sheriff  caught  him  by  the 
back  of  the  neck  and  shook  him  as  a  terrier  would  a  rat. 

"  You'd  bether  run  him  in  anyhow,  sheriff,  dear,"  said 
the  burly  Irish  baggage  man,  "  I  heard  him  swearing  like 
a  blackguard  at  his  sick  wife  when  they  came  from  the 
steamer." 

The  sheriff,  releasing  his  grip  on  the  cockney's  neck, 
said,  "Look  here;  you're  a  stranger  and  I'll  give  you  a 
piece  of  advice.  Don't  you  blackguard  any  woman  in  this 
county,  even  if  she  is  your  wife;  or  some  night  you  will  be 
marching  under  guard  of  a  delegation  of  our  citizens,  with 
a  rope  around  your  neck,  to  a  tree  near  here  where  they 
hang  horse  thieves  and  women-beaters." 

The  much  injured  fellow  sneaked  off,  without  a  trace 
in  him  of  the  fun  he  had  on  the  boat;  Stanley  and  his 
friend  Buckley  taking  care  to  be  far  enough  away  not  to  be 
addressed  by  him  as  friends. 

As  soon  as  the  sheriff's  toast  to  the  hero  of  the  evening 
was  drunk,  our  friends  slipped  out  and  retired,  satisfied 
with  what  of  profit  and  entertainment  the  evening  had  al 
ready  afforded. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE  ORPHANS'  FAIR 

WHEN  St.  Agnes  was  a  Mexican  Pueblo,  the  governing 
body,  the  Ayuntamiento  (which  was  vested  with  the  prerog 
ative  to  grant  to  citizens  the  pueblo  lands  for  residence  pur 
poses,  cultivation  and  commons  or  pasture)  disregarded 
anything  like  accurate  description  in  their  grants.  A 
pivotal  monument,  such  as  a  house  already  occupied  by  the 
grantee,  without  title,  was  named,  the  number  of  varas 
given,  and  the  shape  sometimes  designated;  and  the  grantee 
was  allowed  to  swing  the  lot  in  any  direction  around  the 
pivot,  provided  it  did  not  run  into  improvements  of  some 
other  grantee.  Often  the  location  would  be  designated  as 
lying  in  a  certain  direction  from  the  solare  or  residence 

lot  of  Don ;  sometimes  between  the  solare  of  Don 

and   Don .     The    exact   boundaries   were   supposed   to 

be  fixed  by  the  Syndico,  or  Mayor,  by  what  was  termed 
an  Act  of  Juridical  Possession.  No  records  were  kept 
of  these  acts,  so  far  as  the  recording  of  actual  measurements ; 
and  as  few  lots  were  enclosed,  and  if  any  stakes  had  been 
set  they  had  quickly  disappeared,  it  was  impossible  to 
know  where  the  boundaries  were.  When  the  Pueblo  passed 
under  American  dominion,  comparatively  little  of  its 
four  leagues  of  land  had  been  granted.  The  grants  had 
been  confined  principally  to  solares,  or  residence  lots,  to 
actual  occupants  within  the  inhabited  part  of  the  town. 
Some  suertos,  or  sowing  lands  for  gardens,  vineyards  and 
orchards,  and  a  few  ejidos,  or  commohs  for  pasture  use. 
Shortly  after  the  advent  of  the  Americans  a  surveyor  was 
employed  to  lay  out  the  town  in  streets  and  blocks,  and 
set  stakes  at  the  corners  of  the  blocks,  for  a  compensation 
that  could  not  have  paid  the  labor  of  half  the  work.  The 
surveyor  took  the  main  street  as  a  base  line,  established 
an  initial  point,  and  platted  about  four  hundred  blocks 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square,  and  streets  bounding 

187 


188  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

them;  two  running  at  right  angles  eighty  feet,  and  the 
others  sixty  feet  in  width;  and  the  plat  was  adopted  as  the 
official  map.  He  set  stakes  in  the  settled  portion  of  the 
town  and  around  the  neighboring  blocks;  but  none  were 
ever  discovered  in  the  outlying  parts  constituting  the 
greater  portion  of  the  city  and  where  there  were  few  if 
any  houses.  Those  stakes  he  did  place,  which  were  small , 
unmarked  redwood  sticks,  were  moved  by  lot  owners  to 
any  places  they  desired;  others  were  used  to  hitch  broncos 
to,  were  pulled  out,  and  never  replaced  (at  any  rate,  in  the 
same  holes  they  came  from),  and  others  were  gathered  by 
the  native  children  for  firewood.  In  the  platting  of  the  new 
town  no  consideration  was  and  none  could  be  paid  to  where 
the  old  grants  with  buildings  on  them  were  located;  but  the 
streets  on  the  map  lopped  off  parts  of  enclosures  and  ran 
through  houses  and  plantations,  necessitating  the  exercise 
of  eminent  domain  on  the  part  of  the  city  when  it  came  to 
open  some  of  the  principal  streets.  A  number  of  the  most 
important  and  most  substantially  built  houses  stood  wholly 
or  partly  in  the  streets.  Land  was  of  little  value  at  that 
time  and  there  were  few  disputes  as  to  boundaries.  But  as 
the  settlers  grew  numerous,  litigation  sprung  up  in  refer 
ence  to  property  lines  and  it  became  a  source  of  profit  to 
lawyers,  Herman  among  the  number.  Some  of  the  old 
residents,  holding  Ayuntamiento  grants,  had  taken  the  pre 
caution  to  obtain  from  the  city  deeds  of  blocks  and  frac 
tions  of  blocks  embodying  the  lots  on  which  stood  their 
improvements.  This  course  had  been  pursued  by  the  de 
scendants  of  one  of  the  old  Spanish  families  who  had  thus 
secured  title  to  a  considerable  area  about  their  mansion,  a 
large,  commodious  adobe  building,  with  corridors  facing  a 
spacious  pateo,  and  hardly  eclipsed  by  the  old  Com- 
mandante  residence.  It  no  longer  served  the  purpose  of 
a  family  residence,  but  was  in  the  nature  of  a  public  build 
ing;  the  post  office  being  in  one  corner,  and  others  of  its 
rooms  used  as  offices,  storerooms  and  lodging  apartments. 
The  pateo  had  been  boarded  over  and  the  corridor  facing 
the  entrance  turned  into  a  stage,  and  it  was  there  that  were 
held  the  theatrical  entertainments,  concerts,  bazars  and 
balls,  a  great  canvas  stretched  over  the  court  serving  as 
movable  roof. 


THE  ORPHANS'  FAIR  189 

The  post  office  was  presided  over  by  the  little  French 
military  man  who  had  planned  the  lassoing  of  the  American 
ships,  and  was  as  favorite  a  resort  as  a  corner  grocery  in 
a  western  town.  Any  visitor,  whether  resident,  ranchero 
or  stranger,  could  scan  the  mail  and  pick  out  what  belonged 
to  him;  and  as  the  women  of  the  community  wrote  and  re 
ceived  few  letters  in  those  days  (indeed,  only  the  privileged 
few  being  able  to  read  or  write),  and  the  men  had  nothing 
to  gain  from  the  inspection  of  another's  generally  unim 
portant  correspondence,  few,  if  any,  epistles  got  into  the 
wrong  hands.  Newspapers  and  periodicals  were  common 
property  and  were  frequently  read  and  their  contents  dis 
cussed  by  the  loungers  before  they  met  the  eyes  of  the 
owner.  The  postmaster  was  a  fair  scribe,  of  an  accom 
modating  nature,  and  frequently  indited  or  addressed  letters 
for  the  unskilled.  With  the  utmost  seriousness  and  non 
chalance  he  would  transcribe  the  fond  and  florid  expres 
sions  of  a  giggling  girl  to  her  novio;  and  opening  and  clos 
ing  such  epistles  always  with  the  same  strict  formula  of 
epistletory  etiquette  he  resorted  to  in  his  official  and  busi 
ness  communications:  "My  honored  and  respected  Sir," 
or  "  Madame,  accept  the  exalted  appreciation  and  assur 
ance  of  the  humble  homage  of  your  most  obedient  serv 
itor." 

To  Herman  there  seemed  an  air  of  pathos  about  the  little 
old  man,  with  his  pinched  features,  long  gray  hair  and 
whiskers  like  the  wings  of  a  gray  butterfly.  When  he  was 
not  postmaster  he  always  had  some  petty  office  such  as 
assessor,  collector,  or  deputy,  which  brought  him  ready 
money  enough  to  keep  his  Spanish  wife  and  large  family 
from  starving;  while  he  embarked  in  all  kinds  of  visionary 
schemes,  to  carry  out  which  he  mortgaged  the  lots  the  town 
trustees  had  generously  bestowed  upon  him,  and  that  in 
evitably  yielded  him  nothing  but  the  mortgages.  He 
fancied  Herman  (as  in  fact  did  all  those  who  had  strayed 
to  St.  Agnes  from  across  the  waters),  not  only  because  he 
was  familiar  with  their  native  land,  but  because  he  had 
the  gentleness  of  address  that  characterized  the  Latin  race 
and  a  consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others ;  never  wound 
ing  them  by  rough  or  brutal  words  or  acts,  nor  ridiculing 
their  peculiarities.  When  he  was  alone  with  Herman  he 


190  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

would  talk  about  his  belle  France;  its  fertile  gardens,  its 
orchards  and  vineyards,  its  winding  canals,  mountains  and 
picturesque  sea  coasts,  and  its  thrifty,,  industrious,  sweet- 
spoken  children.  And  the  same  imagination  that  flew  his 
kites  in  his  business  ventures,  seemed  to  give  spirit  and 
ideality  to  his  visions  of  his  native  country.  He  would 
have  liked  to  revisit  it  before  the  sun  set  on  his  day  of  life ; 
but  the  large  family  and  the  mortgages  and  the  weakness 
and  lassitude  that  came  to  him  with  old  age,  held  him  an 
exile,  until  he  finally  fell  asleep  in  the  midst  of  his  little 
duties,  his  large  family  and  his  devouring  mortgages. 

The  Casa  Alvarado,  as  the  mansion  was  called,  was  a 
scene  of  life  this  evening.  The  canvas  roof  had  been 
drawn  over,  and  the  court  was  skirted  with  gay  booths,  the 
pillars  were  turned  into  pepper  trees,  and  the  corridors 
were  festooned  with  vines,  and  laurel  branches  and  gray 
moss.  A  long  table  stretched  the  length  of  the  stage, 
which  was  loaded  down  with  Spanish  good  cheer:  cold 
meats,  tamales,  salads,  olives  dressed  with  oil,  chili  and 
onions,  tortillos,  bread  and  cakes,  dulces,  oranges,  nuts,  figs 
and  red  and  white  wine;  and  at  either  end  Indian  baskets 
piled  up  with  cascarones,  decorated  egg  shells  filled  with 
tinsel,  to  be  broken  over  the  oiled  locks  of  the  gay  young 
men  and  women,  and  to  remain  there  in  evidence, —  little 
flakes  of  gold, —  for  a  week  thence.  The  court  made  a  good- 
sized  ballroom,  which  had  received  a  sprinkling  of  paraffine 
candle  shavings,  and  its  surface  rivalled  the  waxed  floors 
of  the  halls  of  dance  in  the  centers  of  fashion  and  elegance. 
The  booths  contained  the  handicraft  of  the  women  and 
men  of  St.  Agnes ;  drawn  lack-work,  shell-work  and  flowers ; 
fancy  articles,  burnished  steel  Mexican  bits,  beautifully 
wrought  and  polished;  silver-mounted,  stamped  leather 
bridles,  mecates  (hair  ropes),  and  reins  of  leather  and 
horsehair,  and  numbers  of  articles  for  raffle,  pictures,  dolls, 
cords  of  fire  wood,  a  gold  watch,  a  pony  and  a  quilt. 

It  was  the  opening  night  of  the  Sisters'  midsummer  fair, 
and  St.  Agnes  had  gathered  to  enjoy  the  entertainment 
it  always  afforded,  and  to  contribute  to  this  popular  charity; 
for  no  wizard  could  untie  the  purse  strings  of  old  and 
young,  free  givers  and  misers,  as  could  the  good  Sisters  of 
St.  Vincent's  Orphan  Institution.  Among  those  present 


THE  ORPHANS'  FAIR  191 

were  many  whom  I  have  introduced  to  my  readers.  Mrs. 
Stanley  and  her  son  were  not  there;  the  former  was  not  a 
patron  of  bazars  and  fairs,  and  not  altogether  a  cheerful 
giver;  and  Walter  had  engagements  more  after  his  own 
heart  elsewhere.  The  Misses  Morgan  had  charge  of  the 
flower  booth;  Madame  Municheisen  assisted  a  number  of 
pretty  Spanish  girls  in  disposing  of  the  fancy  articles;  and 
Carmelita,  in  simple  gown,  a  pretty  tortoise-shell  comb  in 
her  hair  (which  represented  Pancho's  savings),  and  radiant 
face,  more  charming  than  ever,  ministered  to  the  keen 
appetites  of  the  guests,  at  the  intervals  between  dances ;  as 
she  could  not  miss  one  of  these.  Macdonald  had  come 
over  from  the  Island  for  the  occasion  and  Bebeleche  and 
Don  Victor  had,  by  putting  in  an  appearance,  delighted  the 
heart  of  El  Sastro,  who  balanced  about  the  room  on  his 
heels,  rolling  cigarittos,  his  boy  cheeks  aglow,  his  eyes 
sparkling,  and  ejaculating  "  Etty,  etty,  etty." 

Herman  was  conversing,  as  well  as  his  not  perfectly 
spoken  Spanish  would  permit,  with  a  large,  handsome 
woman  with  a  great  wealth  of  golden  hair  which  had  come 
down  to  her  from  her  grandmother, —  an  Irish  lady  who  had 
married  a  Castillian  of  good  family, —  when  they  were  j  oined 
by  a  Spaniard,  Sr.  Don  Ramon  del  Monte,  the  owner  of  a 
rancho  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county;  a  gentleman 
of  courteous  manners  and  marvelous  flow  of  talk.  He 
had  a  dull-hued  scratch  on  his  head,  contrasting  by  several 
shades  in  color  with  the  fringe  of  living  hair  around  the 
lower  hemisphere  beneath  it  and  with  his  pointed  oiled 
beard. 

"  Ah,  mi  hermosa;  the  fairest  goddess  in  the  assembly ; 
queen  of  beauty,  sweet  blending  of  Andalusia  and  the  Celtic 
Isles,  how  are  you  to-night?  But  I  need  not  ask,  for 
health  and  youthful  strength  as  well  as  loveliness  and 
grace  are  breathed  from  your  presence.  And  you,  Sr. 
Thomas;  I  am  more  than  charmed  to  meet  you  here,  a  con 
tributor  to  the  success  of  this  noble  cause;  and  permit 
me  to  compliment  you  on  your  splendid  looks  and  bearing, 
and  to  say  that  no  more  fitting  cavalier  could  have  my  dear 
young  friend,  the  lovely  Senorita  Juanita  de  la  Paz." 

"  Oh,  prince  of  flatterers,"  said  Sefiorita  Juanita,  "  we  all 
know  that  you  are  born  and  bred  a  courtier,  and  that  those 


192  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

fine  compliments  are  bestowed  on  any  silly  woman  you 
may  chance  to  meet." 

"  Take  a  chance  on  St.  Patrick,  Mr.  Thomas/'  said  Miss 
O'Brien,  a  merry  Irish  girl,  who  bore  in  one  arm  the  great 
saint  and  in  the  other  hand  a  raffle  list. 

"  Well,  I  would  not  grieve  you  by  not  trying  to  win  the 
patron  of  the  isle  of  black-haired,  blue-eyed  beauties;  one 
of  whom  has  flown  across  a  continent,  and  an  ocean,  by  the 
aid  of  his  influence,  to  captivate  some  protege  of  good  St. 
Agnes.  Give  me  two  tickets,  a  double  chance  on  St.  Pat 
rick.  Ah,  here  is  our  friend,  John  Stuart;  I  know  that 
St.  Patrick  must  stand  in  his  good  graces  next  to  St. 
Andrew." 

"Good  evening,  Mr.  Stuart,"  said  Miss  O'Brien;  "a 
chance  on  St.  Patrick  ?  " 

"  St.  Patrick,  what  could  I  do  with  St.  Patrick,  if  I  won 
him?  He  would  be  like  the  Governor's  tracts,"  said  John 
Stuart,  caressing  his  biceps. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Stuart,  you  know  he  might  keep  the  snakes 
from  your  boots." 

John  Stuart  looked  at  the  demure  young  lady  for  a 
moment  in  solemn  silence,  then  drew  a  leathern  bag  from 
his  pocket  and  took  five  chances,  and  asked  her  for  the 
first  dance;  and  several  times  during  the  evening  invited 
her  to  take  refreshments,  in  no  way  disconcerted  when  she 
declined  all  invitations  after  the  first. 

"  A  boutoniere,  Mr.  Thomas,  a  little  baby  rose,  with  a 
few  sweet  violets  and  some  sprays  of  maiden-hair  fern; 
a  dear  lady  friend  of  yours  picked  it  out  and  said  it  would 
just  suit  you  and  that  you  should  pay  me  double  for  it," 
and  the  Baron's  little  girl  dressed  as  a  Tyrolese  maid,  held 
up  to  Herman  the  dainty  little  bouquet. 

"  And  so  the  little  witch  makes  me  pay  double,  does 
she?  Well,  for  the  sake  of  her  sweet  little  self,  and  the 
fair  lady  that  made  the  choice,  I  will  pay  the  extra  price 
and  buy  another,  if  you  will  go  pin  it  on  Grandpa  Morgan's 
coat." 

"  Yes,  indeed  I  will,  and  give  him  a  kiss  with  it." 

"  Now  who  was  the  lady  that  said  it  would  suit  me  ?  " 

"  Stoop  down,  Mr.  Thomas,  it  is  a  great  secret,  I  must 
whisper  it  in  your  ear." 


THE  ORPHANS'  FAIR  193 

Herman  stooped  down,  and  the  little  maid  told  the 
secret  while  a  flush  came  upon  his  cheeks;  and  as  the  little 
betrayer  of  secrets  ran  off  with  a  merry  laugh,  Herman 
glanced  at  the  flower  booth  where  Martha  stood  with  an 
amused  expression  on  her  face. 

The  Mexican  orchestra,  hidden  behind  a  screen  of 
pepper  branches,  commenced  playing  a  waltz  and  a  score 
or  more  of  couples  were  soon  gliding  over  the  floor.  Capt. 
Seymour  started  in  the  direction  of  the  flower  booth,  then 
hesitated,  and  catching  sight  of  Miss  Hatherton,  offered 
his  arm.  Herman  glancing  in  the  same  direction,  saw 
Martha  led  off  by  his  English  friend,  Mr.  Bucknill.  So, 
he  strolled  over  to  where  stood  Mr.  Macdonald  and  Mr. 
ap  Williams. 

"Good  evening,  Mr.  Williams,"  he  said;  "what  is  the 
latest  from  Wales?" 

"  The  infants  are  still  in  arms,  I  believe,"  he  replied. 

"How  do  you  do,  my  lad,"  said  Mr.  Macdonald;  "I 
hae  not  yet  seen  that  estimable  lady,  Mrs.  Turnbull,  wi  her 
fine  meerschaum  pipe ;  do  ye  ken  if  she's  here  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,  Mr.  Macdonald,  and  I  am  very  glad  she 
has  not  brought  any  of  her  Commanche  acquaintances;  I 
am  afraid  the  temptation  would  have  been  too  strong  to 
try  to  secure  a  collection  of  extraordinarily  fine  scalps. 
Did  you  ever  see  a  finer  display  of  heavy  locks  and  tresses 
and  ringlets  ?  " 

"  It  is  nothing  to  the  hair  of  the  Welsh  women,"  re 
marked  Mr.  ap  Williams,  "  a  girl  in  Wales  is  ashamed  if 
she  cannot  conceal  her  whole  person  from  head  to  foot  with 
her  tresses." 

"  Weel,  I  dinna  ken  if  the  Scotch  women  ever  use 
their  tresses  as  cloes,  but  I  do  ken  that  there  are  nae 
bonnier  heads,  nae  brighter,  glossier  locks,  than  those  o 
the  Heeland  lassies,  an  they  need  nae  oil  to  gie  them  a 
sheen." 

After  the  dance,  the  Baron  and  Herman  had  a  few  words 
with  the  leader  of  the  orchestra,  and  he  gracefully  gave  way 
to  the  Baron  who  led  with  animation,  with  Sigismund  as 
first  violin,  the  music  of  a  sprightly  song  of  Spanish  type 
and  time,  a  joint  production  of  himself  and  Herman  for 
the  occasion;  and  Carmelita  stepped  to  the  front  of  the 


194  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

stage,   with   a   tastefully  trimmed   basket   of   tamales    and 
sang  naively,  with  her  fascinating  Spanish  accent: 

Tamales,  tamales, 

Chicken  tamales, 
Made  by  a  fair  lady's  hand  elegante; 

With  sweet  golden  maize, 

And  raisins  so  nice 
And  glossy,  brown  olives  and  chili  piquante. 

Just  see  my  tamales, 

Chicken  tamales, 
In  their  bright,  yellow  dresses  tied  in  a  bow; 

Like  plump  roasting  ears, 

The  fat  little  dears 
Are  lying  together,  all  lucked  in  a  row. 

Come  smell  my  tamales, 

Chicken  tamales, 
No  king's  dainty  dishes  have  flavor  so  sweet; 

Through  their  delicate  shields 

Lined  with  herbs  from  the  fields, 
Rises  steaming  rich  fragrance  your  palates  to  greet. 

Come  buy  my  tamales, 

Chicken  tamales, 
And  invite  your  dear  friends  to  a  holiday  treat; 

And  the  pittance  you  spare 

For  dainties  so  rare 
Will  help  buy  some  shoes  for  poor  little  feet. 

Carmelita  was  covered  with  applause  and  blushes,  and 
her  tamales  turned  into  gold. 

The  entertainment  ended  with  a  Spanish  quadrille  led  off 
by  Carmelita  and  Pancho. 

Capt.  Seymour  accompanied  Miss  Nellie  to  her  residence, 
and  quoted  poetry  to  her;  and  she  told  him  that  she  was 
called  suddenly  home,  and  would  go  on  the  early  morning's 
stage,  and  she  hoped  that  he  would  come  and  visit  her. 
The  Captain  said  he  would  miss  her  sadly,  and  that  it  would 
be  but  a  short  time  before  he  would  accept  her  invitation; 
and  that  when  he  came,  he  hoped  that  she  would  welcome 
him  with  a  feeling  just  a  little  more  than  friendliness. 
He  requested  that  he  might  accompany  her  on  the  stage  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  she  said  that  it  would  delight 
her.  The  Captain  was  her  companion  the  next  morning 


THE  ORPHANS'  FAIR  195 

to  the  summit  and  the  driver  told  Herman,  with  a  grin, 
that  the  parting  was  quite  affecting.  A  few  days  after 
wards  the  Captain  and  her  other  friends  received  the 
wedding  cards  of  Miss  Hatherton  to  an  up-county  ranchero. 
She  had  been  down  in  St.  Agnes  picking  up  some  little 
things  for  her  trousseau. 

Pancho  escorted  Carmelita  to  her  home.  They  talked 
about  the  fair,  and  Pancho  told  her  that  she  had  looked 
handsomer  than  any  fine  lady  there,  and  had  sung  very 
sweetly  and  then  he  asked  if  she  did  not  care  for  him  more 
than  she  did  for  others.  And  with  her  head  down  she  said, 
"  Si,  Pancho."  Then  why  would  she  not  promise  to  some 
day  let  him  claim  her  as  altogether  his  own.  She  said, 
still  holding  her  head  down,  and  toying  with  the  fringe 
on  her  mantle : 

"  We  are  very  poor,  Pancho,  and  we  would  have  a  hard 
time  getting  along;  and  I  love  nice  things  and  you  could 
not  buy  them  for  me,  and  I  might  get  discontented." 

"  Indeed,  I  could  work  very  liard,"  replied  Pancho,  "  and 
I  would  be  sure  to  get  ahead;  and  you  know  that  I  would 
love  to  give  you  pretty  things  and  deny  myself  to  do  it." 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  of  that,  Pancho,  and  I  thank  you  very 
much  for  the  beautiful  comb;  it  was  good  in  you  to  get  it 
for  me,  and  I  know  you  could  not  afford  it.  But  I  do  not 
believe  I  could  be  happy  on  a  rancho  and  I  would  get 
dull  and  you  would  cease  to  care  for  me.  Besides,  Mamma 
could  not  live  on  a  rancho/' 

"  She  has  always  said,  she  loved  to  be  in  the  country, 
that  it  took  her  back  to  her  girlhood.  But,  Carmelita,  I 
would  not  have  you  marry  me,  if  I  were  not  sure  that  you 
yourself  felt  that  you  could  be  contented  and  happy  with 
me  and  loved  me  more  than  any  other  man." 

"  There  is  no  other  one  I  am  as  fond  of  as  of  you, 
Pancho,  but  I  cannot  think  of  being  anything  more  now 
than  a  friend  to  you.  We  will  wait,  dear  Pancho;  there 
is  no  hurry,  and  see  what  may  come.  Maybe  we  will  win 
our  suit  and  be  rich  and  then  you  can  come  and  ask  me, 
and  you  can  stay  with  me,  and  we  will  not  have  to  go  off  to  a 
lonely  rancho." 

"  Very  well,  Carmelita,  I  see  I  must  wait,  and  I  will 
not  tease  you  any  more.  My  love  and  loyalty  to  you  will 


196          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

make  me  wait,  no  matter  how  long.  Good  night,  Carmelita 
cara,  and  remember  this,  there  is  no  one  in  the  world,  ex 
cept  your  dear  mother,  who  loves  you  as  fondly  and  un 
selfishly  as  do  I,  and  who  will  be  as  true  to  you;  and  no 
matter  what  happens,  you  can  call  me  to  you."  And  he 
turned  away,  and  Carmelita  stole  to  her  room,  and  sat 
down  and  cried  and  said  to  herself  that  she  was  a  miserable, 
selfish  thing. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

WALTER    STANLEY    WANTS    CAPITAL 

THE  Stanleys  were  not  infrequent  visitors  at  Col.  Morgan's. 
The  letter  the  mother  had  brought  to  the  Colonel  came 
from  an  old  Southern  friend,  a  fellow  officer  in  the  Con 
federate  Army.  He  introduced  her  as  the  widow  of  an 
intimate  friend,  who  had  gone  to  live  in  New  York  after 
the  war,  and  had  died  there.  In  a  personal  letter  fol 
lowing,  his  friend  said  that  he  knew  nothing  about  young 
Stanley;  that  before  the  war  he  was  off  at  school  some 
where  in  the  North,  and  he  had  not  often  met  Mrs.  Stanley. 
That  the  reason  he  gave  the  letter  of  introduction  was  be 
cause  of  his  great  friendship  for  her  dead  husband,  and  he 
felt  that  it  would  be  forlorn  for  them  to  be  thrown  entirely 
among  strangers  in  a  new  country,  with  no  one  to  counsel 
or  associate  with.  Col.  Morgan  did  not  encourage  an  inti 
mate  intercourse  with  them,  and  felt  anxious  and  worried 
that  they  were  so  often  at  his  home.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  they,  to  a  certain  extent,  presumed  upon  his  hospitality. 
Martha  felt  the  same  way.  She,  with  a  woman's  keen 
perception,  detected  an  endeavor  on  the  part  of  Mrs. 
Stanley,  by  means  lacking  in  dignity  and  refinement,  ac 
cording  to  her  standards,  to  ingratiate  herself  with  her 
father  and  monopolize  his  presence,  and  she  resented  it. 
Both  she  and  her  father  were  much  troubled  about  the 
fact  that  Anna  seemed  to  have  taken  a  fancy  to  Walter 
Stanley,  of  whom  they  knew  nothing  and  with  whom  they 
were  unfavorably  impressed.  As  Martha  had  told  Her 
man,  her  father  was  an  excellent  judge  of  human  nature, 
and  he  had  interpreted  Stanley's  character  as  anything 
but  an  admirable  one.  Besides,  the  words  of  Mrs.  Stanley 
at  the  musicale  kept  ever  coming  to  his  mind,  and  he  would 
say  to  himself,  "  What  can  a  mother  be  who  would  with 
malice  aforethought  drive  every  sacred  inspiration  and 

197 


198  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

prompting  and  religious  aspiration  from  a  son's  heart;  and 
what  can  a  son  be  with  such  a  mother  and  such  a  mother's 
influence  and  training?" 

Anna  admired  Stanley's  worldly  polish  and  his  accom 
plishments.  He  seemed  to  do  everything  well.  He  was  a 
vivacious  talker  with  nothing  original  to  say,  and  had  the 
social  talent  of  being  able  to  create  conversation  out  of 
nothing.  Her  nature  was  such  that  she  never  did  nor 
could  she  go  very  far  below  the  surface  of  things,  or 
analyze  character  and  motives.  She  lived  like  a  bird,  en 
joying  everything  about  her  that  addressed  itself  to  her 
sense  of  beauty  and  afforded  pleasure,  without  stopping  to 
see  what  it  was  made  of;  and  she  had  a  childlike  igno 
rance  of  evil,  and  want  of  suspicion,  and  a  gentle  confidence 
in  those  about  her.  This  deepened  the  anxiety  of  the 
father  and  sister.  Besides,  Stanley  appeared  to  have  no 
vocation,  profession  or  occupation.  He  said  that  he  was 
interested  in  some  large  mining  enterprises.  He  went  fre 
quently  to  San  Francisco,  remaining  a  fortnight  at  a  time, 
and  generally  returning  morose  and  sullen  in  looks.  Col. 
Morgan  in  a  casual  way  asked  Herman  about  him,  but  he 
could  not  give  him  much  information.  He  said  that  the 
man  was  not  attractive  to  him  and  he  felt  that  he  was  not 
liked  in  return ;  and  although  he  never  drank  to  excess,  some 
of  his  associates  were  of  the  worst  sporting  element;  con 
sequently  he  saw  little  of  him. 

One  day  when  the  Colonel  returned  from  a  solitary  visit 
to  Ruheplatz,  Anna  came  to  the  gate  to  meet  him. 

"  Truant,  Papa  Colonel,  where  have  you  been,  and  what 
have  you  been  doing?  I  have  been  watching  and  waiting 
for  you  such  a  very  long  time,  and  I  have  been  very  lonely. 
Martha  has  gone  off  to  help  some  sick  woman  and  left  me 
to  mope  by  myself." 

"  Such  a  frolicsome  little  girl  as  you  are,  with  so  much 
around  you  to  play  with,  cannot  greatly  miss  her  prosy 
old  father." 

"  But  indeed  I  do,  Daddy  dear;  I  am  very  dreary  when 
you  are  not  about  the  house.  If  I  come  home  and  do  not 
find  you,  I  am  quite  cross ;  the  good  angel  that  makes  every 
thing  about  the  place  so  pretty  and  peaceful  has  fled.  But 
you  do  not  often  run  away  on  horseback  from  your  little 


WALTER  STANLEY  WANTS  CAPITAL       199 

girl  and  you  must  have  been  doing  something  very  sly." 

"  Nothing  sly,  my  pet,  only  having  a  talk  with  our  good 
friend,  the  Baron,  concerning  something  very  important." 

"  You  mustn't  have  important  things ;  they  are  bad  for 
your  health.  Your  work  days  have  gone  by  and  you  must 
be  like  your  little  daughter,  without  a  care  or  worry,  just 
having  a  good  time  from  morning  to  night.  I  have  been 
intending  to  scold  you,  Daddy,  you  have  seemed  so  grave 
and  sad  lately.  What  is  the  matter  ?  " 

"  Why,  that  is  very  strange ;  I  thought  I  was  always 
bright  and  smiling  when  my  baby  is  with  me." 

"  No,  no ;  I  often  catch  you  looking  at  me,  with  a  very 
solemn  face,  as  if  I  had  been  doing  something  naughty." 

"  Anna  dear,  when  your  old  father  is  called  away  from 
this  world,  will  you  think  of  him  lovingly,  and  at  times  wish 
him  back  in  his  old  place  in  our  little  home?  "  They  had  sat 
down  on  the  porch,  Anna  on  a  little  baby  chair  at  his  feet, 
and  she  had  his  hand  in  hers,  smoothing  it  softly.  Tears 
sprang  to  her  eyes,  and  she  threw  her  arms  about  his 
neck. 

"  O  Papa  dear,  I  cannot  think  of  your  ever  leaving  us. 
It  seems  to  me  it  would  break  my  heart.  Even  if  you  do 
sometimes  look  sad  and  grave,  and  are  not  as  strong  as  when 
you  were  a  soldier,  you  are  very  young  and  your  heart  is 
just  as  youthful  as  mine;  and  you  know  years  don't  count 
when  the  heart  is  not  old.  You  will  be  with  us  many 
long  years,  won't  you,  Daddy  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  I  will  stay  with  my  dear  children  as  long  as  I 
can.  And  while  I  am  here  will  my  little  girl  be  contented 
to  stay  with  me  and  cheer  me  up,  until  I  tell  her  to  run 
away?  And  will  she  always  have  faith  in  her  father's 
love,  and  believe  that  what  he  does  is  for  her  life's  hap 
piness,  and  humor  him  in  his  ways  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear  Papa,  I  will  always  be  your  dutiful  little 
daughter.  It  is  no  task  to  obey  such  a  sweet,  loving,  in 
dulgent  old  Daddy  as  you." 

Martha,  accompanied  by  Herman,  whom  she  had  met 
coming  back  from  a  stroll  on  the  beach  and  aroused  from 
one  of  his  dreams,  then  came  up. 

"  Welcome  home,  Papa ;  I  hope  you  enj  oyed  your  solitary 
ride  and  quiet  chat  with  your  cronie,  the  Baron,"  said 


200  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Martha.  "  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Thomas,  that  to-day  is  the 
first  time  that  Papa  has  ever  declined  to  have  me  as  a 
companion  on  his  rides.  He  and  the  Baron  must  have 
some  great  scheme  on  foot,  if  he  will  not  take  his  private 
secretary  into  his  confidence." 

"  It  is  very,  very  strange,"  said  Herman ;  "I  do  not 
think  that  I  could  have  done  it,  whatever  the  scheme  might 
have  been." 

"  That  is  too  stately  an  attempt  at  compliment,  Mr. 
Thomas,"  replied  Martha,  "  and  I  fear  it  is  not  as  ingenu 
ous  as  it  might  be,  when  I  think  how  you  were  going  to  pass 
me  by  a  few  minutes  ago  with  a  formal  bow,  and  I  had  to 
bring  you  along  by  a  sort  of  moral  main  force." 

"  Well,  Martha,"  said  Col.  Morgan,  "  as  no  doubt  Mr. 
Thomas  has  experienced,  there  are  some  things  that  one 
has  to  think  out,  some  problems  to  solve  alone  with  his  own 
thoughts,  and  when  one  is  engaged  in  such  a  game  of 
solitaire,  he  is  very  dull  company  to  others.  At  least  he 
thinks  he  is.  Could  you  not  dine  with  us  this  evening,  Mr. 
Thomas?  I  will  get  Dr.  Barton  and  old  Joe  and  Sigis- 
mund  to  come  over  after  dinner  and  well  have  some  music. 
You  can  ask  them  for  me  when  you  go  uptown." 

Herman  accepted  with  pleasure.  Just  then  Capt.  Sey 
mour  came  by  on  horseback  with  his  surveying  instrument 
over  his  shoulder  and  was  hailed  by  Col.  Morgan. 

"Happy  chance,  Captain;  I  have  just  invited  Mr. 
Thomas  to  dine  with  us  this  evening,  and  enjoy  a  little 
music  afterwards,  and  if  you  will  be  one  of  us  at  dinner, 
our  party  will  be  complete." 

"Do  come,  Capt.  Seymour,"  said  Anna;  "it  will  give  so 
much  pleasure." 

"Indeed,  Miss  Anna?"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  bright 
ening  up.  "  I  will  be  most  happy,  Colonel,  to  accept 
your  invitation." 

"  Yes,  Captain  Seymour,"  said  Anna,  "  I  have  been  dy 
ing  to  get  your  opinion  on  some  wedding  cards  I  have  re 
ceived  of  Nellie  Hatherton.  You  met  her,  I  think,  when 
she  was  here.  We  have  a  little  dispute  as  to  whether  they 
are  not  a  little  provincial." 

The  Captain  shifted  his  instrument,  with  a  grimace, —  it 
could  not  be  determined  whether  caused  by  Anna  or  the 


WALTER  STANLEY  WANTS  CAPITAL       201 

transit, —  and  with  a  most  wanton  disregard  of  truth,  re 
plied: 

"I  have  seen  the  cards;  she  showed  them  to  me  just 
before  she  went  up  to  be  married,  and  I  suggested  to  her 
that  they  had  a  sort  of  a  Cow  County  look  to  them." 

Anna  looked  at  him  with  amazement,  and  remarked: 
"  Excuse  me,  Captain,  but  is  that  Cow  County  wedding 
cards  story  of  the  same  degree  of  accuracy  as  the  fable  of 
the  double  ended  grass  ?  " 

Col.  Morgan  had  gone  to  the  gate  in  front  of  which 
Capt.  Seymour  had  stopped  his  horse,  and  while  they  were 
talking  he  saw  Mrs.  Stanley  and  Walter  turning  the  corner ; 
and  he  stepped  out  into  the  street  as  they  came  up.  They 
shook  hands  with  him  and  bowred  to  the  others,  and  evidently 
expected  to  be  invited  to  enter;  but  the  Colonel  stood  in 
front  of  the  gate,  apparently  a  little  distrait,  and,  assuming 
that  they  were  simply  passing  by,  wished  them  a  pleasant 
stroll. 

"  Col.  Morgan,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley,  "  could  we  not  im 
provise  a  little  party  this  evening  for  a  beach  supper  ?  The 
nights  are  very  charming  now." 

"  I  regret  to  say,  madame,  that  we  all  have  an  engage 
ment  this  evening,  and  it  would  not  be  possible." 

"  Oh,  I  am  sorry,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley ;  "  then  it  must  be 
another  time.  Good  evening,  and  au  revoir."  And  they 
continued  their  stroll,  while  Capt.  Seymour  rode  off,  and  the 
Colonel  with  a  sigh  of  relief  joined  his  daughters  and  Her 
man. 

"  Do  you  think,  Walter,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley,  "  that  the 
want  of  courtesy  on  the  part  of  Col.  Morgan  in  not  inviting 
us  in  was  intentional  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  The  old  simpleton  would  be  more  apt 
to  tell  you  flat-footed  that  he  did  not  want  you,  if  he  had 
any  special  intention  of  not  having  us  stop,  and  I  am  in 
clined  to  think  it  didn't  enter  his  head"  to  ask  you.  This 
much  I  know,  I  am  glad  he  didn't.  I  have  no  use  for 
that  fellow  Thomas  and  much  less  for  that  insolent  ass 
Seymour." 

"  I  can  understand  your  not  having  a  particular  fondness 
for  Capt.  Seymour,  as  he,  I  understand,  divides  with  you 
Anna's  consideration;  but  I  would  like  to  know  what  are 


202  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

your  objections  to  Thomas.  It  may  be  necessary  for  me 
to  have  legal  advice,  and  I  had  some  thought  of  employing 
him.  Col.  Morgan  seems  to  have  adopted  him  as  a  pro 
tege,  and  this  is  a  circumstance  that  would  have  influence 
in  my  choice." 

"  You  must  have  a  poor  opinion  of  my  ability  to  please, 
if  you  think  Seymour's  attentions  to  Anna  are  an  annoy 
ance  to  me.  He  is  an  impudent  little  monkey  and  I  don't 
like  him  around.  As  to  his  chum,  Thomas,  it  may  be  a 
case  of  Dr.  Fell,  with  me.  But  he  is  a  man  with  whom 
you  or  I  have  nothing  in  common.  He  is  a  believer  in  re 
ligion  and  churches  and  priests  and  sacred  things  and  all 
those  relics  of  superstition  which  modern  science  has  ex 
ploded  and  he  generally  herds  with  his  own  kind;  and  if  he 
happens  to  stray  into  a  company  of  men  of  the  world  of 
advanced  thought,  he  is  a  discordant  element." 

"  He  is  a  good  lawyer,  is  he  not?  " 

"  All  I  know  about  that  is  he  has  the  reputation  gener 
ally  of  being  such." 

"  And  is  true  to  his  clients  ?  " 

"  I  should  judge  that  he  would  be,  for  the  reason  that  he 
is  not  quick-witted  enough  to  profit  from  both  sides." 

"  Well,  I  cannot  say  that  he  is  attractive  to  me,"  said 
Mrs.  Stanley;  "  but  as  I  am  not  looking  for  social  intimate, 
but  for  a  lawyer  of  capacity  who  would  betray  no  confidence, 
and  not  sell  me  out  to  another,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that 
Thomas  would  best  serve  my  purpose.  By  the  way,  Walter, 
have  you  deposited  to  my  credit  the  amount  of  the  coupons 
from  my  securities?  I  suppose  that  you  cut  them  when 
you  were  in  San  Francisco." 

"  Yes,  and  here  is  the  key  to  your  safety  box.  Don't 
you  think  it  would  be  well  to  sell  the  U.  S.  bonds  that  bear 
so  small  a  rate  of  interest  and  buy  some  securities  that 
pay  large  dividends?  Your  income  now  is  anything  but 
a  fat  one,  and  you  do  not  allow  me  enough  to  hold  my 
own  on." 

"  I  certainly  do  not  intend  to  jeopardize  what  I  have 
by  exchanging  it  for  insecure,  speculative  securities.  If 
I  did  so,  and  lost,  it  would  be  with  me  a  dose  of  poison, 
and  the  end ;  for  I  would  never  again  go  through  the  penury 
and  mortification  which  made  my  life  miserable  before 


WALTER  STANLEY  WANTS  CAPITAL       203 

your  father  met  me  and  married  me.  As  for  you,  you 
have  ample  to  live  upon,  especially  in  this  place,  if  you  must 
needs  confine  yourself  to  village  life.  Do  you  not  think 
with  your  superior  education  and  the  advantages  you  have 
had  that  it  is  time  for  you  to  do  something  towards  your 
own  support?  I  may  some  day  have  need  myself  of  all 
my  income.  You  are  all  the  time  reporting  that  you  have 
a  number  of  enterprises  on  foot;  are  they  products  of 
your  imagination  ?  " 

There  was  a  sullen  expression  on  Stanley's  face  as  he 
replied : 

"  My  education  and  accomplishments  are  of  little  avail 
to  me  in  this  country,  and  I  doubt  if  they  would  help  me 
anywhere  without  capital  to  back  them.  Your  own  train 
ing  has  put  a  barrier  between  me  and  the  masses  of  the 
people.  I  can't  hob-nob  with  them,  as  does  that  fellow, 
Thomas.  They  never  let  me  into  their  confidence,  or  put 
me  in  the  way  of  making  anything,  and  would  only  laugh 
if  I  hadn't  a  cent  to  live  on.  I  know  I  am  cold,  and  repel 
people,  but  that  is  the  way  I  have  been  brought  up,  and  I 
can't  and  I  do  not  want  to  help  it.  I  know  that  this  belief 
in  a  Divine  Providence  and  a  Man-God  and  the  beatitudes 
is  all  nonsense;  but  somehow  or  other  those  that  do  believe 
in  them  have  a  friendly  feeling  to  each  other  and  help 
one  another,  ten  times  more  than  the  members  of  any  secret 
society  and  I  have  joined  a  number  of  them.  I  have  no 
trade;  I  was  above  that,  and  no  profession.  It  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  be  a  physician  and  do  the  menial  things 
they  are  obliged  to  do,  and  I  never  could  be  a  successful 
lawyer,  unless  I  bought  a  position  in  a  firm  where  my  work 
would  not  necessitate  familiarity  with  people  below  my 
station." 

"  And  yet  I  have  seen  you  in  apparent  good  fellowship 
with  any  but  reputable  men  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  perfectly  at  home  with  a  polished  scoundrel. 
I  am  at  ease  with  a  self-possessed  gambler.  We  ask  no 
affection  or  favors  of  each  other,  and  can  enjoy  the  one 
in  the  other  what  there  is  of  astuteness  and  brightness. 
But  the  vulgar  herd  seems  to  exact  what  is  termed  sympathy 
and  I  haven't  it  to  give.  I  do  not  know  how  much  of  this 
nature  I  have  inherited.  From  what  they  tell  me,  it  could 


204  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

not  have  come  from  my  father.  They  say  he  was  a  church 
member  and  a  philanthropist.  I  remember  as  a  boy  his 
saying  to  me,  '  Walter,  my  son,  if  you  wish  to  succeed  in 
this  life,  there  are  two  things  you  must  do:  love  your  Cre 
ator  and  your  fellowmen.'  But  it  is  of  little  moment  in 
what  way  heredity  figured  with  me;  environment,  home 
influence  and  education  have  prepared  me  to  fight  my  way 
to  success,  provided  the  proper  weapon  is  placed  in  my 
hands  —  money.  Without  this,  I  am  as  helpless  as  a  pup 
pet.  You  planned  my  training  and  the  molding  of  my 
character  and  it  would  be  a  simple  act  of  justice  to  give  me 
part  of  your  capital  upon  which  to  build  my  fortune." 

"  Never,  never.  I  have  yet  to  learn  from  you  that  you 
have  the  industry  and  ability,  even  with  the  aid  of  capital, 
to  win.  You  would  cast  the  blame, —  for  what  is  on 
your  part,  not  want  of  equipment,  but  disinclination  to 
work, —  on  me  a  woman ;  your  mother.  Do  you  not  think 
this  the  plea  of  a  coward?  What  consideration  could 
I  expect  should  I  impoverish  myself  to  furnish  a  gambling 
stake  to  one  who  would  cast  up  to  his  mother  what  she  had 
done  at  self-sacrifice  to  make  his  life  a  distinguished  one? 
What  greater  weapons  do  you  want  to  accomplish  what 
thousands  have  done  without  money,  than  what  I  have  given 
you;  a  robust  body,  a  scientific  education,  accomplishments 
that  insure  you  the  entree  into  any  circle,  and  a  mind  eman 
cipated  from  the  thraldom  of  superstition?  These  are 
weapons  with  which  to  fight  your  way  to  success  through 
the  common  hordes  that  may  oppose  you,  and  they  are 
sufficient,  if  a  coward's  heart  is  not  behind  them.  I  did 
not  prepare  you,  I  will  admit, —  even  if  you  had  been  a  fit 
subj  ect,  which  you  were  not, —  to  worm  your  way  to  success 
by  sympathy  and  courting  help  from  those  beneath  you. 
If  I  had  so  intended,  I  would  have  sent  you  to  a  monastry 
instead  of  to  the  most  advanced  schools  and  to  a  college  of 
modern  science  and  philosophy.  Be  careful,  Walter,  that 
you  do  not  rouse  in  me  the  devil  that  once  had  place  in  me, 
or  you  will  know  how  a  mother  can  act  towards  an  un 
natural  child." 

They  walked  in  silence  for  some  time,  when  Mrs.  Stanley 
said  abruptly: 


WALTER  STANLEY  WANTS  CAPITAL       205 

"If  you  must  needs  have  capital  to  add  to  what  I  have 
given  you,  look  elsewhere  for  it  —  marry  it." 

Stanley  said  nothing,  but  the  frown  on  his  face,  partly 
concealed  by  his  hat  which  he  had  drawn  over  his  eyes, 
grew  darker,  and  he  muttered  to  himself,  "  It  is  for  you  to 
beware,  and  to  learn  and  feel  what  a  scorned  son  can  do  to 
a  devilish  mother." 

They  had  reached  the  beach.  The  sun  had  just  dropped 
beneath  the  horizon  and  the  glow  that  steals  over  the  land 
scape  at  sunset  in  this  land  of  changeful  beauty  tinted  the 
sky  and  ocean  whose  colors  blended  with  the  deeper  hues  of 
the  seaweed,  and  softened  islands  and  mountains  and  the 
valley's  rough  places.  A  schooner  lazily  rocked  at  anchor 
not  far  from  the  shore  and  a  skiff  was  beating  its  way 
towards  the  wharf.  The  surf  was  but  a  pulsating  fringe  of 
foam.  A  fisherman  had  just  drawn  his  boat  up  upon  the 
shore,  and  was  unloading  some  crae-fish;  his  wife  and  a 
brown,  bare-headed,  bare-legged  little  boy  had  come  down 
from  their  neighboring  cottage  to  meet  him.  A  gentleman 
and  his  wife,  with  a  couple  of  prattling  children,  carrying 
a  basket  and  toy  shovels,  came  loitering  along,  talking 
lover-like  in  gentle  tones;  and  then  a  buggy  driven  by  a 
young  man,  with  an  old  lady  at  his  side,  passed,  and  when 
opposite  to  where  Mrs.  Stanley  and  Walter  stood  for  a 
moment  before  retracing  their  steps,  the  young  man  said, 
"  The  air  is  growing  chill,  mother ;  I  fear  you  will  take 
cold."  And  he  drew  up  the  old  woman's  shawl  and  gently 
wrapped  it  about  her  shoulders. 

Stanley  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  ground;  and  on  his 
mother's  face,  as  with  tight-pressed  lips  she  gazed  across 
the  sea  to  the  mist-veiled  islands,  was  a  wild  look  of  yearn 
ing. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE    REPUBLICAN     CONVENTION 

IT  was  the  morning  of  the  Republican  Convention.  This 
assembly  was  held  in  the  courtroom,  which  being  in  those 
days  the  only  hall  capable  of  accommodating  any  consid 
erable  number  of  people,  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
political  parties  and  public  and  quasi-public  gatherings. 
The  interest  and  excitement  prevailing  were  greater  and 
more  intense  than  generally  characterized  the  County  Con 
vention.  The  Democrats  had  already  made  their  nomina 
tions,  and  had  put  what  was  conceded  to  be  a  remarkably 
strong  ticket  in  the  field.  Barrows,  the  nominee  for  the 
assembly  was  the  choice  of  the  large  land  owners  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county,  and  expected  to  receive  gen 
erally  the  support  of  the  agriculturists  who  had  already 
raised  a  large  fund  to  be  used  in  his  interest,  and  which 
necessarily  would  help  elect  the  entire  ticket.  The  object 
was  to  have  a  representative  whose  main  work  in  the  legisla 
ture  would  be  to  secure  the  passage  of  what  was  termed 
a  "  no  fence  "  law  for  the  protection  of  the  farmer  against 
the  trespassing  of  animals.  As  California  had  been  a 
grazing  country,  up  to  this  period,  no  protection  had  been 
given  the  grower  of  crops  against  the  inroads  of  cattle. 
He  had  either  to  fence  his  land  or  lose  his  crops. 

The  nominee  for  sheriff,  Nicholas  le  Roy,  was  also  a 
strong  man.  He  was  a  native  Californian;  his  father,  a 
Gascon,  who  had  married  a  Mexican  woman,  had  been  a 
man  of  prominence  in  the  state  in  early  days  and  was  a 
member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the  state  constitu 
tion.  He  was  a  fine  looking  man,  of  some  education,  and 
a  crack  horseman.  He  kept  a  livery  stable  in  St.  Agnes, 
and  from  him  Herman  had  hired  his  first  saddle  horse 
which  bucked  him  off,  some  distance  from  town,  kicked 
the  saddle  to  pieces  and  ran  back  to  the  stable.  When 

206 


THE  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION  207 

Herman  got  in  on  foot,  his  clothes  torn  and  covered  with 
dirt,  he  was  told  by  Don  Nicholas  that  he  had  sent  a  party 
back  with  the  horse  he  had  ridden  to  get  him,  as  that 
horse  always  returned  to  where  he  had  thrown  his  rider. 
For  district  attorney  it  had  chosen  a  long,  lean  attorney, 
three- fourths  farmer  and  one-fourth  lawyer;  in  the  pro 
fession,  a  sort  of  ship's  lawyer  (with  ten  children  ranging 
in  age  from  six  months  to  sixteen  years),  who  would  be  hard 
to  beat,  as  he  would  get  a  number  of  the  farmers,  all  the 
squatters  and  many  natives  who,  out  of  sympathy,  always 
voted  for  a  poor  man  with  a  large  family.  Not  much  at 
tention  was  paid  to  the  other  nominees;  it  was  a  foregone 
conclusion  that  the  clerk  and  treasurer  would  be  re- 
elected. 

It  was  a  wise  thing  on  the  part  of  Herman's  friends  not 
to  make  his  candidacy  public  until  after  the  primaries,  as 
it  would  have  been  easy,  so  it  proved,  for  his  opponent 
Hill  to  have  secured  a  sufficient  change  in  the  delegation 
to  assure  him  the  nomination.  When  it  was  announced, 
it  caused  a  considerable  sensation,  and  the  American  Hotel 
resounded  with  his  name,  accompanied  by  picturesque  and 
loudly  vociferated  language  of  anything  but  a  complimen 
tary  nature  from  the  Shorty-Scotty  contingent;  which  was 
aggravated  by  a  remark  of  Long  Hungry  that  the  boy 
wasn't  a  bad  fellow,  and  the  observation  of  the  Hon.  Wm. 
McElhenny  that,  if  he  had  a  little  more  wind,  he'd  back 
him  against  any  man  in  the  crowd  in  a  fight  to  a  finish 
without  gloves.  This  observation  was  doubtless  caused  by 
an  incident  which  established  Herman's  position  in  the 
community  as  one  not  to  be  bullied  with  impunity, —  a  neces 
sary  thing  to  occur,  to  insure  his  future  peace.  After  an 
encounter,  the  result  of  an  unprovoked  attack  by  a  bully, 
John  Stuart  would  have  been  perfectly  satisfied  with  the 
condition  of  the  countenance  of  Herman's  antagonist,  so 
far  as  its  being  recognizable  by  his  most  intimate  acquaint 
ance. 

"  We'll  show  that  Eastern  rooster  to  let  this  dung-hill 
alone,"  blared  Shorty;  "he'll  get  his  comb  chawed  up,  and 
his  tail  feathers  yanked  out  worse'n  any  barnyard  chicken 
you  ever  seen,  before  that  game  cock  Bill  Hill  is  through 
with  him." 


208  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  D — d  carpet-bagger,"  said  Scotty ;  "  what  right  has  that 
tenderfoot  to  come  out  here  and  jump  the  claim  of  a  Mis 
souri  thoroughbred  and  one  of  the  boys,  like  bully  Bill? 
He's  a  mean  sneak  anyhow  not  to  come  out  before  and  give 
us  a  chance  to  settle  his  hash  at  the  primaries." 

So  close  was  the  contest  between  the  two  candidates  for 
district  attorney  that  not  a  delegate  escaped  the  importun 
ing  of  the  friends  of  the  one  side  or  the  other.  That  very 
morning  Capt.  Seymour  and  Herman  had  started  at  five 
o'clock  and  ridden  down  the  coast  fifteen  miles  to  inter 
view  a  doubtful  delegate,  a  carpenter  named  Stouffer,  who 
was  at  work  building  a  barn.  Capt.  Seymour  knew  him, 
having  had  him  do  some  work  about  his  camp,  and  in 
troduced  him  to  Herman.  They  discovered  that  he  had  no 
intention  of  going  to  the  convention  and  had  so  told  Mr. 
Hill.  When  he  found  that  Herman  was  a  Pennsylvanian 
whose  birth  place  was  within  twelve  miles  of  his  own  and 
that  he  knew  some  of  his  family,  he  declared  that  he  would 
stop  work  on  the  barn  for  the  day  and  would  go  to  the 
convention  and  not  only  vote  for  him,  but  would  get  him 
another  vote  of  which  Hill  was  sure.  As  the  callers  were 
starting  back,  Mr.  StoufFer  said: 

"  What  a  great  state  Pennsylvania  is  and  what  smart  peo 
ple  they  are  there ;  they  make  such  fine  Schmears,  apple-but 
ter,  peach-butter,  quince-butter,  plum-butter  and  Schmear- 
K'dse,  and  they  dry  the  finest  Schnits  in  the  world." 

As  could  hardly  be  otherwise,  the  majority  of  the  mem 
bers  of  the  existing  Central  Committee  were  in  favor  of 
Hill,  and  they  did  for  him  everything  they  could  quietly 
and  without  compromising  themselves  and  jeopardizing  the 
interest  of  candidates  for  other  offices,  in  the  organization 
of  the  convention.  Mr.  Roncador,  the  chairman  of  the 
committee,  though  non-committal,  was  at  heart  Herman's 
friend.  The  larger  number  of  the  leading  delegates, 
backed  by  the  majority  of  the  Central  Committee,  had 
agreed  to  the  selection  for  presiding  officer  of  an  ex-cap 
tain  in  the  Union  army,  an  old  gentleman  named  Jeffer 
son;  a  farmer,  with  little  knowledge  of  political  maneuver 
ing  and  less  of  parliamentary  rules.  Mr.  Roncador,  with 
a  voice  that  seemed  to  be  addressed  to  a  squad  of  raw 
recruits  in  the  vacant  lot  in  front  of  the  hall,  deafening  the 


THE  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION  209 

ears  of  those  within,,  called  the  convention  to  order.  In 
his  speech,  among  other  things  he  said: 

"  My  men,  you  have  heard  the  bugle  call,  and  obeyed 
the  country's  orders  and  as  good  citizens  have  reported  on 
duty.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  see  that  all  have  answered 
the  roll  call  and  are  lined  up  ready  for  action.  The  eyes  of 
the  country  are  on  you,  and  I  might  say  the  whole  world; 
for  a  voice  from  California  is  a  voice  from  the  greatest 
state  in  the  Union  of  the  Great  United  States, —  the  shriek 
of  whose  eagle  brings  fear  to  potentates  and  powers  over 
the  whole  earth." 

"  And  the  waters  under  the  earth,  as  my  governor  would 
say,"  remarked  John  Stuart,  to  his  neighbors  in  the  audi 
ence. 

Capt.  Jefferson  was  chosen  temporary  chairman,  accord 
ing  to  programme,  and  called  the  convention  to  order.  The 
appointment  of  a  committee  on  credentials  by  the  chair  was 
proposed  and  carried. 

"  I'm  pretty  well  posted  on  meetings  of  the  Grand  Army, 
but  I  don't  know  much  about  running  a  convention/'  said 
the  Captain.  "  I've  got  a  list  of  names  here  somewhere  for 
this  committee;  "  (and  the  Captain  fished  around  in  his  hat, 
under  his  red  bandana  handkerchief,  certificate  of  honor 
able  discharge  from  the  army  and  certain  other  articles, 
finally  producing  the  list)  ;  "  it  was  handed  to  me  by  Mr. 
Hill  who  said  these  were  the  men  I  was  to  appoint." 

"  No  set-up  job  in  this  convention.  We  don't  want 
Mr.  Hill's  committee  or  any  other  candidate's  committee," 
said  Mr.  Stouff er ;  "  these  delegates  are  able  to  name  their 
own  committee." 

"  D — d   old  jackass,"   growled   Mr.    Hill   to   Shorty. 

Judge  Freeman  moved  that  the  members  nominate  per 
sons  for  the  respective  committees  and  that  they  be  balloted 
for;  which  motion  was  seconded  and  carried.  The  com 
mittee  on  credentials  chosen  was  a  fair  one  and  all  dele 
gates  legally  elected  were  seated. 

The  committee  on  organization  and  order  of  business  re 
ported,  and  named  Capt.  Jefferson  as  permanent  presi 
dent,  and  the  committee  on  platform  and  resolutions  ful 
minated  a  declaration  of  principles  and  eulogy  of  the  ad 
ministration  and  the  party  which  cast  in  the  shade  the 


210          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

tame  platform  and  resolutions  of  the  national  convention. 

After  the  selection  of  delegates  to  the  joint  senatorial 
convention  of  the  two  counties  composing  the  district,  the 
nomination  of  the  county  officers  was  in  order.  A  bright 
gentlemanly  native  Calif ornian,  named  Anginsola,  who  was 
versed  in  the  three  R's  in  English  and  Spanish,  was  nom 
inated  assemblyman. 

At  the  last  moment  one  of  Mr.  Miller's  opponents  with 
drew  in  his  favor,  leaving  the  fight  between  him  and  a 
burly  cattle  drover  who  would  have  made  a  better  slave- 
driver  than  sheriff.  Mr.  Miller  won  out  with  a  handsome 
majority.  The  clerk  and  treasurer  then  in  office  were 
nominated  by  acclamation. 

The  time  at  last  had  arrived  to  choose  the  candidate  for 
district  attorney.  Both  sides  were  nervous  and  uneasy; 
each  thought  that  victory  was  with  it,  but  each  felt  that 
there  was  no  surety.  Judge  Freeman  in  a  brief  address, 
forcible  and  in  good  taste,  presented  the  name  of  Herman 
Thomas,  and  stated  without  exaggeration  his  qualifications. 
Mr.  Mocker  placed  Mr.  Hill  in  nomination  with  a  prepared 
speech  of  considerable  length  from  which  we  quote  a  few 
sentences : 

"Some  of  us  have  been  here  a  long  time;  some  of  us 
ever  since  the  post-pliocene  period  when  the  tenderfoot  had 
not  heard  of  the  place.  Some  of  us  was  here  when  it 
needed  a  man  for  district  attorney  that  knew  how  to  pull 
his  gun  and  get  the  first  drop  on  any  fellow  that  butted  in 
when  he  was  prosecuting  his  mate.  And  some  of  us  think 
that  we  don't  want  any  fellow  now  that  wears  clothes  that 
will  get  spoiled  and  can  only  talk  with  his  mouth.  We're 
getting  too  luxuriant  in  our  tastes,  at  least  some  are,  and 
want  a  decanter  and  a  cut  glass  tumbler  instead  of  the  old 
black  bottle  and  a  stout  bottomed  whiskey  glass  that  will 
make  an  impression  when  you  hit  a  man  with  it.  To  all 
intenses  and  purposes  it  is  the  same  with  district  attorneys  as 
it  is  with  whiskey  bottles.  Give  me  the  good  old-fashioned 
material  like  Bill  Hill;  not  one  of  your  fancy  cut  glass, 
decorated  specimens  like  the  one  he's  running  against. 
Mr.  Hill  does  not  seek  the  office  of  his  own  violation;  but, 
with  true  patriotism  he  says,  '  I  am  in  the  hands  of  my 


THE  REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION  211 

constituents;  do  with  me  what  you  will;  the  success  of  the 
party  is  my  only  ghoul/  " 

The  roll  was  called,  the  voting  being  viva  voce.  The  can 
didates  ran  neck  and  neck,  and  finally  they  were  tied  with 
one  more  to  be  called.  This  was  the  friend  of  Stouffer; 
and  Hill  and  his  followers  glanced  at  each  other  with 
triumph  on  their  faces.  When  his  name  was  announced 
he  arose,  and  said: 

"  Gentlemen,  a  word  may  be  necessary  in  explanation  of 
my  vote.  A  week  ago  I  filled  up  that  old-fashioned  black 
bottle  Mr.  Mocker  was  talking  about,  and  I  seen  things  the 
same  way  he  does,  and  I  told  Shorty  and  Scotty  and  their 
gang  I  would  go  for  Bill  Hill.  I  was  in  bed  the  next 
two  days  and  Dr.  Vanderpool  told  me  that  I'd  have  either 
to  give  up  that  black  bottle  or  pass  in  my  checks,  and  as 
I  have  some  use  yet  for  the  checks,  I  have  concluded  to  pass 
the  black  bottle  and  freeze  to  the  cut  glass  decanter,  and 
so  I  cast  my  vote  for  Thomas." 

Herman  Thomas  was  declared  the  nominee  with  vocifer 
ous  cheering  led  by  Sigismund  from  the  jury  box  railing, 
and  was  warmly  congratulated  by  his  friends;  while  Mr. 
Hill  and  his  constituents  with  crestfallen  looks  betook 
themselves  to  the  American  Hotel  and  the  black  bottle 
and  stout  bottomed  glasses. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

HERMAN    EMPLOYS    A    DETECTIVE 

THE  active  campaigning  was  not  to  be  begun  for  a  month, 
and  the  candidates  had  ample  time  to  prepare  themselves. 
In  the  meanwhile  Herman's  friends  exerted  themselves  to 
bring  him  in  contact  with  representative  men  of  the  county 
he  did  not  know  well.  Dr.  Vanderpool  was  peculiarly  en 
ergetic  in  this  and  his  profession  afforded  him  the  greatest 
opportunities.  Mr.  Roncador  had  been  reelected  chairman 
of  the  central  Committee,  and  said  that  he  would  arrange 
the  meetings  in  the  outlying  settlements,  during  the  cam 
paign,  so  that  they  could  travel  together, —  an  advantage  to 
Herman,  as  Roncador  was  well  known  and  reasonably  popu 
lar  among  the  farmers  and  stockraisers,  and,  having  mar 
ried  into  a  native  Californian  family,  had  some  following 
among  the  natives.  Independent  of  the  set  meetings, 
Mr.  ap  Williams,  Dr.  Vanderpool,  Bebeleche,  Lasalle  and 
others  of  his  friends  had  promised  to  drive  him  around  on 
a  house-to-house  canvass.  Although  Hill  openly  said  he 
would  support  the  ticket  as  nominated,  it  was,  so  far  as 
district  attorney  was  concerned,  such  a  surly  negative  sup 
port  that  it  amounted  to  opposition;  while  it  was  at  once 
apparent  that  the  Shorty-Scotty  contingent  would  do  every 
thing  they  could  to  defeat  Herman.  They  used  as  an 
excuse  that  he  had  in  a  Fourth  of  July  oration  denounced 
the  pot-house  politicians,  evidently  referring  to  them  and 
the  American  Hotel  loafers.  Altogether  he  had  a  hard 
fight  and  he  was  warned  by  the  sheriff  and  the  most  saga 
cious  of  his  friends  not  to  set  his  heart  on  winning. 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  Mr.  Miller,  "  you  have  an  easier 
fight  than  I  have,  and  I  am  already  arranging  things  so 
as  to  have  the  means  of  earning  my  living  in  case  of  de 
feat." 

Not  long  after  the  convention  Herman  received  word 
from  Washington  that  the  two  U.  S.  patents, —  one  to  the 


HERMAN  EMPLOYS  A  DETECTIVE         213 

City  of  St.  Agnes  for  the  pueblo  lands,  and  one  for  the 
Rancho  El  Roblar  Viejo, —  had  been  issued,  and  in  a  short 
time  he  received  them,  sent  directly  to  him  by  his  Wash 
ington  associates.  He  immediately  placed  on  record  that 
of  the  rancho.  He  now  felt  greatly  relieved,  as  he  was 
convinced  from  a  study  of  the  decisions  of  the  United 
States  Courts  (although  the  California  Supreme  Court  had 
as  yet  not  decided  the  question  directly),  that  the  bar  of  the 
Statute  of  Limitations  could  not  be  evoked  by  El  Roblar 
Viejo  Company;  as  the  patent  alone  had  the  effect  of  taking 
the  title  from  the  United  States  and  vesting  it  in  the 
grantee,  and  the  Statute  of  Limitations  only  commenced 
running,  so  as  to  confer  title  by  adverse  possession,  from 
the  date  of  issuance  of  patent.  He  had  now  five  years 
within  which  to  prove  the  forgery  of  the  deed  from  Jose 
Castailos  and  sue  for  the  recovery  of  the  land.  The  only 
danger  he  could  see  was,  in  the  event  the  forgery  could 
not  be  established  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  rely  on  the 
ground  of  fraud  to  rescind  the  conveyance,  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Company  might  convey  to  an  innocent  purchaser.  He  did 
not  fear  this  much,  as  the  Company  was  absolutely  unsus 
picious  of  attack,  and  had  no  idea  of  selling  at  that  time, 
and  no  bona-fide  sales  for  anything  like  the  prices  at 
which  the  land  was  held  could  be  had.  Still  he  thought 
that  there  should  be  no  further  delay;  that  the  time  had 
come  to  take  steps  towards  the  procuring  of  evidence  of 
the  crime  and  fastening  it  upon  the  perpetrators.  After 
mature  consideration  he  concluded  that  he  could  safely  take 
Sigismund  into  his  confidence.  So  he  had  a  long  con 
ference  with  him,  and,  as  Herman  had  anticipated,  Sigis 
mund  threw  his  soul  into  it.  It  was  an  interesting  and  ex 
citing  game  to  him,  and  a  diversion  that  did  him  a  deal  of 
good.  A  particular  line  of  detective  work  was  laid  out 
for  him  for  which  there  could  be  no  better  one  than  he. 
He  was  to  draw  what  information  he  could  out  of  Antonio 
and  Pedro  Castailos,  and,  a  more  difficult  task,  to  try  to  get 
into  the  inner  circle  of  the  conspirators,  and  unearth  the 
true  facts  and,  if  possible,  bring  about  a  revolt  in  their 
camp ;  this,  through  Espinosa,  who  still  chafed  under  the  con 
temptuous  treatment  of  Brooks,  and  hated  him  more  and 
more  as  he  remained  in  his  employment.  Herman  said  that 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 


he  would  handle  Gen.  Peters  himself.  They  had  both  gone 
over  the  deed  from  Jose  Castanos  to  the  Company,  a  copy 
of  which  Herman  had  made  from  the  records,  and  examined 
the  phraseology  critically.  The  deed  was  in  Spanish,  of 
which  language  Sigismund  was  a  master.  They  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  its  architect  was  Espinosa,  but  that 
the  cunning  of  Brooks  was  also  displayed  in  its  construc 
tion.  An  effort  had  been  made  to  give  it  the  appearance 
of  having  been  drawn  by  a  native  Californian  scribe.  It 
had  some  of  the  conventional  provincial  terms  found  in  the 
old  titulos,  at  the  same  time  containing  words  of  grant  and 
covenants  not  contained  in  the  old  deeds  which  operated, 
under  the  American  law,  to  carry  the  fee  and  any  after 
acquired  title.  They  also  felt  satisfied  within  themselves 
that  Brooks  and  Espinosa  alone  were  the  ones  that  actually 
fabricated  the  instrument,  including  the  signature.  It 
could  be  hardly  possible  that  they  would  intrust  Gen.  Peters 
or  Pedro  Castanos  with  their  dangerous  secret  and  what  was 
probably  done  was,  Peters  and  Castanos  were  handed  the 
instrument  with  the  signature  on  it,  with  the  request  that 
they  witness  it,  as  they  knew  Jose's  signature.  They  also 
believed  that  Brooks  had  so  covered  his  tracks  that  Espin 
osa,  in  case  of  discovery  of  the  forgery,  could  be  made  the 
scapegoat,  and  he  escape. 

Herman  himself  had  planned  another  line  of  action  which 
he  did  not  disclose  to  Sigismund,  thinking  that  his  work 
would  be  more  effectual  if  he  relied  entirely  upon  his  own 
judgment  and  efforts.  Herman  had  been  acting  as  attorney 
for  Wells-Fargo  Express  Company,  in  certain  business 
matters,  and  had  met  the  chief  detective  of  the  company 
who  was  then  in  St.  Agnes.  He  had  been  a  long  time  in 
their  employ,  and  was  considered  the  ablest  of  his  pro 
fession  on  the  coast.  He  expected  to  be  in  St.  Agnes 
for  several  days,  investigating  the  mysterious  disappear 
ance  of  a  valuable  package  from  the  express  box,  on  its 
way  from  San  Jose  to  Los  Angeles.  He  was  a  quiet,  un 
obtrusive,  gentlemanly  man,  with  a  frank  countenance,  and 
the  only  feature  that  reconciled  one  to  the  thought  that 
he  could  be  a  detective,  was  his  keen  and  restless  eye  which 
nothing  escaped.  Herman's  idea  was  to  try  to  enlist  his 
services  in  the  case  to  general  the  campaign  and  to  devote 


HERMAN  EMPLOYS  A  DETECTIVE         215 

special  attention  to  the  offices  of  Barter  &  Brooks.  He 
had  been  quietly  gathering  specimens  of  the  handwriting 
of  Jose  Castafios  and  letters  and  papers  bearing  his  sig 
nature,  and  was  ready  to  test  the  verity  of  the  signature 
to  the  deed  to  the  El  Roblar  Vie  jo  Company,  if  its 
examination  could  by  any  possibility  be  secured. 

After  his  talk  with  Sigismund,  Herman  interviewed 
Mr.  Howells,  the  detective;  laid  the  case  before  him,  and 
asked  him  if  he  would  take  it  up.  To  his  great  gratifica 
tion,  Mr.  Howells,  without  hesitancy,  said  he  would,  and 
that  it  would  interest  him  beyond  the  ordinary.  He  told 
Herman  that  he  knew  the  members  of  this  firm  very  well  and 
that  he  had  occasion  to  ferret  out  some  criminal  transac 
tions  through  which  gross  frauds  had  been  perpetrated  upon 
people  that  could  ill  afford  to  suffer  by  it,  and  that  he 
was  positive  that  the  head  devils  in  the  affair  were  Barter 
&  Brooks,  but  they  had  so  covered  their  work  that  it  was 
not  possible  to  connect  them  by  satisfactory  evidence  with 
the  criminal  acts.  Herman  gave  him  some  of  his  samples 
of  the  handwriting  and  signature  of  Jose  Castafios,  and  he 
promised  to  outline  the  work  as  soon  as  he  reached  San 
Francisco,  and  to  currently  report  progress  to  Herman. 
After  their  talk,  as  it  was  still  early  in  the  evening,  they 
walked  over  to  the  American  Hotel.  As  they  entered  the 
bar-room,  Stanley  and  Buckley  were  just  going  into  a 
cardroom. 

"  Helloa,  there's  a  man  I  know,"  said  Howells ;  "  Dan 
Buckley,  as  cold  blooded  a  card-sharp  as  there  is  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  Who  is  that  with  him?  Stanley,  you 
say;  I  have  never  seen  him.  Strikes  me  to  be  an  amateur 
gambler  who  thinks  himself  equal  to  a  professional;  just 
the  game  for  Buckley.  He'd  better  look  out  for  him; 
though  Stanley,  from  his  looks,  needs  only  the  experience 
and  skill  to  be  as  unconscionable  a  sport  as  the  other." 

Here  Gen.  Donaldson  came  in  from  the  street,  and, 
what  seemed  strange  to  Herman,  he  was  accompanied  by 
Crawson,  the  cockney  that  Sigismund  had  thrown  through 
the  glass  door.  The  latter,  it  is  true,  had  been  concealing 
his  brutality  since  that  memorable  evening,  and  no  reports 
had  been  made  of  ill  treatment  towards  his  wife;  and  he 
had  been  going  about  with  Major  Falcon  looking  at  prop- 


216  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

erty,  saying  that  he  intended  to  buy  and  build.  He  im 
mediately  became  an  object  of  interest  to  Howells,  who 
remarked  to  Herman: 

"  An  Australian  crook,  or  appearances  are  deceitful. 
One  of  your  heavy-weights;  couldn't  swipe  a  watch  or  a 
pocket  book,  but  equal  to  cracking  a  safe  or  rolling  a  man. 
If  he  had  been  in  the  country  long  enough  to  get  rid  of 
his  Sidney  clothes,  I  would  put  him  down  for  investiga 
tion  in  connection  with  our  express  robbery.  The  society 
of  St.  Agnes  is  getting  quite  city-like.  What  is  he  doing 
with  Gen.  Donaldson?  The  General's  a  fine  fellow,  used 
to  know  him  at  Fort  Yuma;  think  I'll  tip  him  the  wink 
about  his  companion, —  not  to  become  too  intimate.  Helloa, 
General,  glad  to  see  you;  how  are  the  camels?  " 

"  D — n  the  camels !  Why,  bless  my  soul,  if  it  isn't  that 
old  mouchard  Howells.  Glad  to  see  you,  anyhow.  How 
do  you  do,  Mr.  Thomas?  As  for  your  beastly  camels,  go 
and  ask  your  Company's  agent  down  in  San  Pedro,  Old 
Buck;  he'll  probably  give  you  the  latest  information  about 
them.  Better  take  your  gun  with  you  when  you  make 
the  inquiry." 

"  You  must  know,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Howells,  "  that 
the  General  and  a  messenger  of  the  Express  Company, 
whom  they  call  Old  Buck,  were  the  victims  of  the  pro 
gressive  spirit  of  the  United  States  Government,  who  im 
ported  a  caravan  of  camels  from  the  Arabian  desert  to  act 
as  freight  carriers,  and  propagate  their  species  in  the 
American  desert.  They  may  have  thought  that  it  was 
the  only  kind  of  a  saddle  animal  that  could  pack  General 
Donaldson  from  Fort  Yuma  to  the  seacoast.  But  they 
were  even  a  little  slow  for  the  General  who  had  charge 
of  the  transportation  branch  of  the  government  service,  and 
after  having  his  bay-window  jerked  from  fore  to  aft  in 
trying  to  adapt  his  peculiar  formation  to  the  build  and 
gait  of  the  beasts,  and  his  senses  of  decency  and  smell 
perverted  so  as  to  make  him  think  he  was  degenerating, 
he  reported  to  the  government  that  the  experiment  was  a 
failure;  that  the  beasts  were  well  enough  in  their  place 
where  they  came  from,  among  a  lot  of  filthy  Arabs,  and 
where  you  ordered  supplies  one  year  and  got  them  the 
next;  but  they  were  no  fit  things  among  decent  people, 


HERMAN  EMPLOYS  A  DETECTIVE        217 

and  you  might  as  well  mount  cavalry  on  oxen,  as  move 
freight  on  camels.  But  the  profanity  of  the  General,  who 
is  no  slouch  of  a  swearer,  was  nothing  to  what  thundered 
along  the  route  when  Old  Buck  had  to  pack  a  blunder 
buss  and  the  express  box  from  San  Pedro  to  Yuma  and 
back  on  one  of  the  wriggling  beasts.  The  General  re 
ceived  a  curt  reply  from  the  government  that  the  experiment 
must  have  a  much  longer  and  more  thorough  test  than  had 
been  given  it  before  the  government  would  abandon  it. 
Old  Buck  said  that  d — d  if  he'd  be  made  a  monkey  of,  and 
travel  on  a  stinking,  humpbacked,  ham-strung  old  carcass. 
He'd  just  as  leave  be  married  to  a  Chinawoman.  After 
that  it  was  wonderful  how  the  beasts  strayed  off  and  got 
lost,  and  shot  by  Indians,  and  lame  and  sick  and  were 
never  on  hand  when  they  were  needed.  The  General  and 
Buck  became  great  friends ;  and  when  the  government  found 
the  bills  for  transportation  higher  than  before  and  were 
made  aware  of  the  fatality  among  the  camels,  it  surren 
dered,  and  the  General  ordered  a  case  of  champagne  from 
San  Francisco  and  didn't  pay  any  express  on  it;  and  Fort 
Yuma  was  missing  an  officer  and  the  Express  Company  a 
messenger  for  three  days;  both  were  seriously  indisposed 
at  Los  Angeles." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  I  got  one  in  on  the  United  States 
Government;  but  it  paid  me  back,  or  I  wouldn't  be  prac 
ticing  law  by  ear  in  this  inlet,"  replied  the  General.  "  And 
to  think,"  he  continued,  "  that  great  man,  Jeff  Davis,  when 
Secretary  of  War,  was  the  instrument  of  bringing  these 
beasts  to  the  country.  Why,  the  correspondence  about  them 
would  fill  a  U.  S.  patent  report  volume,  and  the  expedition 
to  secure  and  transport  them  was  organized  as  if  it  were 
intended  to  capture  Constantinople.  The  scientific  essays 
on  the  origin,  history,  habits  and  utility  of  the  filthy  crea 
tures  procured  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  were  as  elaborate 
as  the  researches  made  prior  to  the  adoption  of  some  new 
improvement  in  the  engines  of  warfare,  and  a  Turkish 
grandee  with  the  formidable  name  of  W.  Re  Kyan  Bey, 
was  pressed  into  service  to  give  a  learned  biographical 
sketch  of  the  monster,  its  treatment,  and  its  use  in  war 
and  commerce.  It  was  a  fine  send-off  for  the  hump 
backed  animal ;  only  he  rather  took  the  fire  out  of  his  eulogy 


218  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

by  letting  his  Oriental  belief  get  away  with  him  and  say 
ing,  '  Even  snakes  and  scorpions  will,  sometime  or  other, 
be  made  useful  to  mankind.'  The  blamed  fool  also  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  dromedary,  when  in  good 
health  and  well  fed,  accumulated  fat  in  an  unnatural  way 
about  the  hump  on  his  back,  instead  of  like  a  Christian, 
about  his  belly,  and  went  on  to  say  that  when  he  hadn't 
enough  to  eat  he  would  subsist  on  this  fat.  I  know  some 
thing  about  it,  and  the  reserve  fat  on  my  stomach  never 
satisfied  my  appetite  when  I  was  on  short  rations." 

"  The  camel  scheme  and  its  outcome,  General,"  said 
Howells,  "  should  have  warned  you  not  to  tie  yourself  to 
that  kind  of  a  great  man  who  magnified  small  things 
into  great  ones  and  then  always  made  a  failure  of  his 
phenomenon.  But  who's  your  friend  ?  " 

"  Huh,  you  mean  my  client  here?  This  is  Mr.  Crawson, 
from  Australia,  for  whom  I  have  been  examining  a  com 
plicated  title.  Mr.  Crawson,  Mr.  Thomas,  a  member  of 
the  bar,  and  Mr.  Howells,  an  expert  thief  catcher." 

"  From  Scotland  Yard,  Mr.  Owells  ?  "  said  Mr.  Crawson, 
with  a  slight  air  of  embarrassment. 

"  No,  I  didn't  graduate  from  that  renowned  institution, 
but  I  have  some  good  friends  among  its  officers,  and  they 
keep  me  supplied  in  dossiers  and  photographs." 

"  I  opes  you  ave  no  use  for  them  in  St.  Agnes,  Mr. 
Owells.  I  wouldn't  like  to  invest  in  a  place  as  arbors 
criminals." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  you're  safe  here,  if  you  don't  gamble  or 
travel  around  much;  gamblers  and  stage  robbers  are  the 
only  birds  of  prey  that  can  live  in  these  cow-counties.  It's 
pretty  dull  here  to-night.  Suppose  we  take  a  stroll,  Mr. 
Thomas.  Good  evening,  gentlemen.  I'm  always  at  your 
service,  Mr.  Crawson,  if  you  fall  among  thieves.  You're 
perfectly  secure  with  the  General." 

On  reaching  the  street,  having  closed  the  door  on  the 
bar-room  clatter,  their  ears  were  greeted  with  the  music 
of  violin,  flute  and  guitars,  coming  from  some  nearby 
spot. 

"A  serenade  at  the  Commandante  Casa,"  said  Herman; 
"  no  doubt  some  of  my  friends ;  we  will  walk  over  and  take 
in  the  entertainment,  it  is  but  a  few  steps  away."  Ai 


HERMAN  EMPLOYS  A  DETECTIVE         219 

they  drew  near  the  Casa,  the  orchestra  ceased  playing  and 
a  few  chords  were  struck  as  a  prelude  on  a  single  guitar, 
and  the  mellow  tones  of  a  baritone  arose  on  the  air: 
"  Kathleen  Mavourneen,  the  gray  dawn  is  breaking." 

"  John  Stuart,"  said  Herman,  "  and  I  know  for  whom 
is  the  sweet  old  Irish  love  song." 

Drawing  near  they  found  the  musicians  on  the  further 
most  wing  of  the  mansion,  and  John  Stuart  stood  facing  the 
Dutch  door  with  his  back  to  the  pateo.  Herman  beckoning 
to  Howells,  they  slipped  up  the  front  steps  and  stood  in 
a  doorway  out  of  sight  of  the  serenaders.  When  the  song 
was  finished,  the  upper  half  of  the  door  was  opened  a 
little  way,  and  a  low  voice  was  heard,  not  too  low  but  that 
the  music  of  a  bewitching  brogue  reached  the  listening 
ears: 

"  Sure,  it  was  beautiful,  Mr.  Stuart.  It  is  the  first  time 
that  Kathleen  Mavourneen  has  echoed  about  these  ancient 
walls,  and  the  dear  old  ballad,  coming  from  away  across 
the  waters  to  touch  the  heart  of  an  ofttimes  lonely  Irish 
girl,  will  be  sweeter  to  me  than  ever.  I  thank  you,  Mr. 
Stuart." 

"  It's  nothing,  Miss  O'Brien.  I  wish  I  were  a  better 
singer,  and  I  wish  I  were  a  better  talker.  There  is  no 
lady  I  would  sooner  sing  and  talk  to  than  you."  And  John 
Stuart  shifted  his  pipe  from  his  right  to  his  left  hand,  and 
thrust  his  right  through  the  opening  in  the  half-door,  and 
it  remained  there;  and  a  few  gentle  words  were  whispered 
from  within,  and  John  Stuart's  voice  arose  in  "  Oft  in  the 
Stilly  Night."  And  Herman  thought  that  the  exile  from 
Erin  must  certainly  surrender  to  the  allied  forces  of  the 
rich  and  sturdy-voiced  Englishman  and  the  sweet  singer  of 
Ireland. 

In  the  middle  of  the  first  stanza,  the  door  where  Herman 
and  Howells  stood,  softly  opened,  and-  in  obedience  to  a 
whispered  invitation,  they  entered.  The  only  light  was 
what  came  from  the  moon-beams,  and  it  was  just  sufficient, 
after  the  eyes  became  used  to  it,  to  enable  them  to  distin 
guish  forms  and  features.  The  lady  who  summoned  them, 
after  closing  the  door,  led  them  into  the  room  into  which  the 
Dutch  door  opened  from  the  porch  where  the  singer  stood. 
A  group  of  ladies  were  in  the  room,  and  all  appeared  to  be 


220  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

overcome  with  emotion,  which  they  were  trying  to  sup 
press,  with  handkerchiefs  thrust  in  their  mouths,  and  rock 
ing  back  and  forth  in  their  chairs,  some  almost  in  convul 
sions.  Their  guide,  one  hand  upon  her  mouth,  pointed 
with  the  other  to  the  partially  open  Dutch  door.  Back  of 
the  door  stood  Miss  O'Brien,  her  hands  pressed  closely 
to  her  breast,  her  lips  tight  together  and  her  eyes  sparkling 
with  merriment,  the  embodiment  of  impish  mischief;  while 
by  her  side  stood  an  old  wrinkled  Indian  woman,  with  a 
grin  on  her  stolid  countenance,  with  her  hand  clasped  in 
John  Stuart's.  The  song  ended,  and  Miss  O'Brien,  with  a 
mighty  effort,  said  in  a  voice  filled  with  emotion : 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Stuart.  I  have  not  been  so  moved  for 
a  long  time.  You  must  come  see  me  and  console  me  in  my 
loneliness  with  melodies  of  my  native  land.  Good  night,  I 
cannot  remain  longer." 

John  Stuart  warmly  pressed  the  hand  he  held,  and  the 
grin  on  its  owner's  face  grew  broader ;  and  he  said,  "  May  I 
have  the  pleasure  of  a  drive  with  you  to-morrow?  " 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Stuart,  you  will  find  me  here  at  any 
time  in  the  afternoon,"  replied  the  Irish  maid,  and  then 
she  motioned  to  the  Indian  who  gave  John  Stuart's  hand 
a  farewell  squeeze  and  withdrew  her  own,  and  the  door 
closed.  After  the  hysteria  of  the  witnesses  to  the  touching 
scene  had  been  overcome,  Herman  said  solemnly: 

"  Now,  ladies,  Mr.  Stuart  is  a  fine  fellow,  and  I  don't 
want  to  lose  him,  and  I  think  Miss  O'Brien  would  lose  a 
great  deal  of  fun  if  he  fled  St.  Agnes;  but  as  sure  as  fate, 
if  this  evening's  comedy  ever  gets  to  his  ears,  John  Stuart, 
his  remittances,  his  pipe  and  his  governor's  tracts,  will  dis 
appear  to  more  appreciative  scenes." 

"  Oh,  never  fear,"  said  Miss  O'Brien,  "  it  will  not  leak 
out,  and  if  it  does  I'll  tell  him  it's  a  base  slander  invented 
by  a  jealous  rival." 

As  Howells  bade  Herman  good-night,  he  said: 

"  If  ever  you  get  tired  of  the  law,  I'll  take  you  into  the 
service,  you'd  make  a  good  society  operative;  and  if  you 
would  only  marry  that  pretty  Irish  devil,  I  would  insure 
you  your  fortune." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

MRS.    STANLEY    MAKES    HER    WILL 

HERMAN  impatiently  shut  a  law  text  book  he  had  been  try 
ing  to  read  and  threw  it  down  on  the  table  with  an  expres 
sion  of  weariness  and  ennui.  "  It  is  no  use  for  me  to 
attempt  to  study  law/'  he  soliloquized,  "  I  hate  it  as  a 
science.  The  knowledge  I  gained  of  it  was  from  no  love 
of  it,  but  from  the  ambition  to  excel  over  my  competitors; 
and  now  with  me  the  books  are  but  tools  to  be  picked 
up  when  I  need  them,  and  not  companions  from  which 
to  gain  intellectual  diversion  and  scientific  knowledge. 
They  either  put  me  to  sleep  or  furnish  a  sort  of  saw-dust 
carpeting  for  the  acrobatic  feats  of  my  untamed  fancy." 
He  sat  musing  and  his  thoughts  wandered  back  to  his 
law-school  triumph,  and  he  felt  how  little  the  acquirements 
upon  which  these  academic  victories  were  based  inspired 
effort  towards  the  mastery  of  the  science,  and  how  small  a 
factor  they  apparently  were  in  the  winning  of  material 
prizes  in  the  practice  of  the  profession.  Then  he  thought 
of  the  tame  sequel  to  his  university  honors,  in  the  dreary 
drudgery  of  a  New  York  law  office.  From  there  he 
wandered  to  his  life  in  E.,  his  brief  newspaper  career, 
and  the  interest  and  pleasure  it  afforded  him;  the  Keller  and 
its  choice  spirits  who  had  him  so  affectionately  in  their 
thoughts,  and  he  almost  wished  he  were  back  among  them, 
despite  the  slow,  uneventful  life  he  then  led;  the  atmos 
phere  as  it  came  to  him  from  the  past  having  in  it  so  much 
of  grateful  warmth.  And  then  he  thought  of  old  Sater- 
lee  and  his  dead  darlings  and  the  Sunday  he  went  with  him 
to  their  resting  place,  and  a  feeling  of  deep  compassion 
came  into  his  heart  and  a  longing  to  help  the  poor,  forlorn 
old  man.  While  thinking  of  him,  a  young  Californian 
whom  he  had  sent  for  his  mail  brought  him  a  solitary 
letter  addressed  in  a  trembling  hand,  which  he  recognized 
at  once  as  that  of  Saterlee.  It  was  a  brief  note: 

221 


222  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  My  dear  young  friend: 

"I  long  to  hear  from  you.  Please  write  and  tell  me  about 
yourself;  how  you  are,  what  you  are  doing,,  your  daily  life, 
what  are  your  plans  and  prospects,  who  are  your  friends 
and  if  you  are  happy.  If  you  need  comfort  or  advice  from 
a  true  friend  who  never  betrays  confidence,  or  if  you  have 
anything  to  distress  you,  any  trouble  or  sorrows,  unburden 
yourself  to  me.  I  am  old  and  broken;  but  at  times  I  am 
very  wise,  and  I  know  so  very  much  of  human  suffering. 
And,  Oh !  be  brave  when  suffering  and  sorrow  come,  and  do 
not  rebel  or  lose  heart;  and  for  God's  sake  do  not  seek 
strength  or  courage  or  consolation  from  drink.  I  miss  you 
sadly  and  a  few  words  from  you  every  now  and  then  would 
brighten  this  old  heart. 

"Your  faithful  friend, 

"DAVID  SATERLEE." 

"Poor  old  man,"  mused  Herman;  "and  how  odd  his 
note  should  come  at  the  moment  I  had  him  in  my  thoughts. 
And  the  singular  way  he  came  into  my  life,  the  devoted 
interest  he  takes  in  everything  that  goes  to  make  it  up,  and 
the  notes  of  admonition  and  warning  he  sounds,  all  the 
stronger  coming  in  the  intermittent  moments  of  bright  in 
telligence,  as  if  special  messages  sent  from  a  supernatural 
source,  and  portending  and  preparing  me  for  some  great 
ordeal;  it  all  seems  strange,  very  strange." 

He  immediately  answered  the  old  man's  letter,  telling 
him  in  a  frank,  ingenuous  way  all  about  himself,  his  daily 
life,  his  business  plans  and  political  schemes  and  the  friends 
he  had  made,  and  ended  by  saying: 

"  And  now  my  dear  friend,  I  promise  that  if  Providence 
should  place  me  where  I  feel  the  need  of  the  sympathy  and 
counsel  of  one  who  has  me  affectionately  and  unselfishly 
in  his  heart,  one  who  has  passed  through  life's  bitterest 
trials,  and  knows  how  to  minister  to  a  passionate  nature 
in  times  of  struggle,  I  will  turn  to  you  for  aid,  and  I  shall 
try  to  bear  with  manly  courage  whatever  of  disaster,  sor 
row  or  suffering  is  sent  me." 

"  Helloa,  boy,  anything  new?  You  look  solemn;  writing 
your  epitaph?  "  said  Dr.  Vanderpool  who  had  glided  into 
the  office  without  the  formality  of  a  knock. 


MRS.  STANLEY  MAKES  HER  WILL         223 

"  No,  Doctor,  I  composed  that  before  I  left  the  East. 
Here  it  is: 

"  *  Unloved  when  living  by  wife  or  by  child, 

Unwatched  when  dying,  unwept  when  he  died.' " 

"  Huh !  Pretty  good  sort  of  an  epitaph,  that.  It's  not 
everybody  can  have  it,  though.  There  is  nearly  always 
someone  fussing  around  and  watching  when  a  man's  trying 
to  die  comfortably  without  being  interrupted.  You  might 
write  one  for  old  Bill  Gibbs  to-day  and  Domingo  to-mor 
row,  he  can't  last  much  over  to-night." 

"  So  the  poor  old  trapper  has  passed  through  the  dreaded 
ordeal,"  said  Herman.  "  Did  you  make  it  as  comfortable 
as  possible  for  him?" 

"  He  didn't  need  my  services ;  the  old  woman  and  girls 
managed  at  last  to  get  him  to  have  a  talk  with  Father 
Aloysius,  and  he  made  him  as  meek  as  a  lamb,  and  he  went 
quietly  to  sleep  and  never  woke  up  again.  That  priest,  I 
believe,  if  he  was  given  a  fair  chance  would  mesmerize  the 
devil.  He  has  made  a  gentle  child  of  old  Domingo,  and 
his  old  wife  can't  understand  it,  and  wants  me  to  keep  him 
alive  as  long  as  it  is  possible,  it  is  such  an  agreeable  change. 
But  I've  just  come  from  another  patient  who  I  think  would 
be  a  nut  that  even  Father  Aloysius  couldn't  crack.  She 
told  me  that  she  wished  to  stay  alive  until  she  had  herself 
decided  to  go,  and  when  the  time  for  dying  came,  she'd  at 
tend  to  the  business  herself  and  didn't  want  any  dosing 
doctor  or  whining  minister  near  her.  She  don't  like  the 
place,  and  asked  me  if  her  condition  of  health  necessitated 
her  remaining  here.  I  told  her  that  if  she  had  not  yet 
decided  to  die,  she'd  better  stay  here  at  least  for  a  couple 
of  years.  She  then  said  that  if  that  were  the  case,  she 
must  consult  a  lawyer,  and  wished  me  to  ask  you  to  call 
and  see  her  this  morning." 

"  But  who  is  it,  Doctor?  you  have  not  given  her  name." 

"Oh,  I  thought  I'd  mentioned  it;  Mrs.  Stanley." 

"  The  devil !  "  exclaimed  Herman. 

"  I  don't  know  that,"  said  the  Doctor ;  "  you  might  call 
her  one  of  his  maids  of  honor." 

"But  why  should  she  send  for  me?     She  does  not  like 


224  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

me,  or  her  manner  belies  her  feeling;  and  her  son  has  no 
use  for  me." 

"  May  be,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "  it  is  for  the  latter  rea 
son  she  sends  for  you.  Whatever  be  the  motive,  there  is 
no  objection  to  your  acting  for  her  if  the  business  proves 
to  be  reputable.  Adios." 

Herman,  in  obedience  to  Mrs.  Stanley's  request,  called 
upon  her  at  once,  and  was  received  politely,  if  coldly. 

"  Take  a  seat,  Mr.  Thomas,"  she  said ;  "  you  have  been 
recommended  to  me  by  Col.  Morgan  and  others  as  a  lawyer 
of  ability  and  integrity  and  one  who  never  violates  confi 
dences;  and  everything  I  shall  speak  of  must  be  in  ab 
solute  confidence  and  breathed  to  no  one, —  not  even  to  my 
own  son." 

"  Keeping  inviolate  the  confidences  of  his  clients  is 
second  nature  to  a  lawyer  of  any  respectability,  and  to  him 
it  is  as  easy  to  keep  secrets  as  to  disclose  them.  I  will 
understand,  Mrs.  Stanley,  that  what  you  say  is  in  the 
strictest  confidence." 

"I  do  not  know  that  anything  I  have  to  consult  you 
about  is  of  sufficient  importance  to  merit  an  admonition  as  to 
secrecy;  but  it  is  my  method  and  habit  to  keep  from  the 
knowledge  of  the  world  my  thoughts  and  plans;  and  I 
might  say  here,  I  never  permit  another,  even  one  with 
whom  I  consult,  to  furnish  me  standards  of  right  and 
wrong —  this  is  my  own  prerogative.  In  the  first  place,  I 
desire  to  make  my  will.  It  will  be  simple  enough.  I  wish 
the  income  of  my  estate  to  go  to  my  son  Walter,  during  his 
life,  and  the  principal,  upon  his  death,  to  his  children,  if  he 
marry  and  have  any;  and  if  he  leave  no  children,  then  to 
Major  Francis  Forrester,  Union  League  Club,  New  York." 

"  Suppose  your  son,  dying  without  children,  leave  a 
widow  ?  "  said  Herman. 

"  I  am  not  called  upon  to  provide  for  his  widow.  She 
could  have  no  claim  upon  me.  The  only  obligation  I  recog 
nize  is  what  nature  imposes  to  benefit  one's  own  blood.  I 
desire  as  executor,  Mr.  Lawrence,  the  banker  of  San  Fran 
cisco.  You  can  prepare  the  instrument  and,  if  possible, 
I  should  like  to  execute  it  to-day.  That  disposed  of,  I  would 
like  you,  without  letting  my  name  appear,  to  investigate  the 
character  and  value  of  certain  investments  that  have  been 


MRS.  STANLEY  MAKES  HER  WILL         225 

suggested  to  me.  I  suppose  you  have  facilities  for  obtain 
ing  such  information?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  reliable  correspondents  that  can  advise  me 
in  such  matters." 

"  There  are  two  companies  of  which  I  am  offered  stock 
at  what  seems  to  be  a  low  price,,  but  concerning  which  I 
know  little;  one  is  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company,  and  the 
other  Los  Azogues  Gordos  Quicksilver  Mining  Co.  The 
properties  of  these  companies  are  in  St.  Agnes  County; 
but  as  I  understand  it,  the  offices  and  principal  stockholders 
are  in  San  Francisco." 

"  I  know  about  these  companies/*  said  Herman,  "  and  I 
think  that  they  are  both  over  capitalized;  but  I  will  ascer 
tain  their  exact  condition  and  the  amount  and  value  of 
their  assets  and  whether  their  stock  would  be  a  safe  invest 
ment.  May  I  ask  you  by  whom  the  stock  is  offered  and  the 
price?" 

"  There  are  some  natives  who  hold  stock  given  them  for 
land  sold  to  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company  which  can  be  gotten 
at  half  the  face  value  and  I  understand  that  the  secretary  of 
the  company,  a  man  named  Espinosa,  has  quite  a  large 
block  which  he  will  sell  for  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  its 
par  value.  The  quicksilver  mining  stock  can  be  purchased 
at  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  its  face  value,  and  is  held  by  a 
San  Francisco  party.  The  stock  has  been  offered  to  Walter 
and  he  urges  me  to  purchase  it.  There  is  another  matter, 
a  delicate  one,  which  I  am  reluctant  to  take  up,  but  I  must 
protect  myself,  and  by  protecting  myself,  protect  my  son. 
It  is  necessary  for  me  to  know  the  habits,  haunts  and  as 
sociates  of  Walter,  both  here  and  in  San  Francisco.  Can 
you  give  me  or  procure  me  this  information  ?  " 

"  Madame,  I  am  not  a  detective,  and  I  have  yet  to  play 
the  spy  on  another's  conduct.  Besides,  I  am  rarely  thrown 
in  company  with  Mr.  Stanley  and  I  am  conscious  of  a  feel 
ing  of  dislike  to  me  on  his  part,  and  I  would  not  be,  should 
I  by  any  possibility  consent  to  act,  the  one  to  ferret  out 
what  you  wish  to  know." 

"Well,  you  have  no  objection,  I  suppose,"  said  Mrs. 
Stanley,  "  to  give  me  the  name  of  a  skillful  and  reliable 
detective." 

"  Of  course  not.     There  is  no  better  detective  on  the 


226          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

coast  than  the  one  regularly  retained  by  Wells  Fargo  Co., 
Mr.  Howells,  whose  office  is  in  San  Francisco.  My  advice 
would  be  for  you  to  place  the  entire  matter  in  his  hands,  if 
he  will  undertake  it,  and  let  him  select  his  operative  here. 
This  is  his  name  and  address,  and  I  suggest  that  you  com 
mit  them  to  memory  and  burn  the  memorandum.  I  will 
drop  him  a  line.  He  will  give  you  a  statement  of  his 
charges,  which  will  be  so  much  per  day  for  services,  and  ac 
tual  expenses,  so  that  you  can  tell  in  advance  what  the 
cost  will  be." 

After  this  interview,  Herman  returned  to  the  office,  pre 
pared  the  will,  and  then  wrote  to  Howells,  telling  him  what 
Mrs.  Stanley  wanted  and  that  he  would  no  doubt  hear  from 
her  immediately;  and  recommending  that  he  accept  the 
employment,  if  he  could  with  propriety  do  so,  and  suggest 
ing  that  it  might  aid  in  their  work  in  the  Valenzuela  case, 
as  Stanley  had  evidently  been  treating  with  Espinosa  and 
the  Castanos  in  reference  to  purchase  of  stock.  He  also 
requested  him  to  obtain  what  information  he  could  con 
cerning  the  personnel  and  the  financial  status,  etc.,  of  Los 
Azogues  Gordos  Quicksilver  Mining  Co. 

Mr.  Howells  having  consented  to  act  for  Mrs.  Stanley,  a 
satisfactory  agreement  was  made  between  them,  and  Stan 
ley's  life  became  the  subject  of  inquisition  at  his  mother's 
instance,  for  her  enlightment.  Better  for  her,  as  the 
future  showed,  had  she  not  sought  the  knowledge. 

The  will  was  executed,  and  placed  in  a  packet  with  a 
letter  addressed  to  Major  Forrester,  and  with  her  diamonds 
and  some  other  valuables  deposited  in  the  safe  of  Wells 
Fargo  Co.,  by  permission  of  the  agent,  obtained  by  Herman. 
The  agent  had  been  instructed  that  Mrs.  Stanley  in  per 
son  could  alone  withdraw  the  packet  during  her  lifetime, 
and  that  its  presence  in  the  depository  should  remain  a 
secret.  In  the  event  of  her  death,  as  appeared  by  en 
dorsement  on  the  cover,  it  was  to  be  handed  to  her  executor, 
Mr.  Lawrence. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A   FETE    CHAMPETRE    AT    LA    LAGUNA    BLANCA 

MRS  STANLEY,  to  the  disgust  of  Major  Falcon,  had  not 
bought  any  property,  but  had  rented  an  adobe  house,  some 
what  isolated  from  the  thickly  populated  part  of  town,  and 
not  far  from  the  home  of  Col.  Morgan.  She  had  furnished 
it  simply  and  in  good  taste;  but  in  it  were  found  no  little 
odds  and  ends  of  things,  breathing  individuality  and  senti 
ment;  no  homely  souvenirs,  whose  eccentric  presence  speak 
some  sympathetic  association ;  a  camelian  attractiveness  with 
out  scent.  It  was  a  comfortable  residence,  without  the 
warm  atmosphere  of  a  home.  The  little  garden  about  it  was 
neatly  laid  out,  and  well  kept.  In  a  shady  corner  of  the 
porch  in  front  of  this,  her  habitation  for  the  time  being, 
Mrs.  Stanley  reclined  upon  a  steamer  chair,  resting,  and 
inhaling  the  ocean  breeze,  after  a  rather  severe  attack  of 
her  chronic  physical  heart  trouble.  A  magnificent  thor 
oughbred  blood-hound  lay  at  her  feet,  who  at  intervals 
would  lift  up  his  head,  look  intently  at  his  mistress'  face, 
then  resume  his  position  of  repose.  Some  little  distance 
from  her  sat  Walter,  smoking,  silent  and  moody. 

"  Walter,"  she  said,  finally  breaking  the  silence,  "  I  am 
convinced  that  we  have  grown  stale  to  the  people  here  with 
whom  we  are  and  must  continue  to  be  associated,  since  we 
are  obliged  to  remain.  I  notice  it  particularly  in  Col. 
Morgan's  family.  Every  one,  I  suppose,  thinks  that  his 
duty  has  been  done  towards  our  entertainment.  We  are 
compelled,  if  we  do  not  wish  to  be  dropped  entirely,  to 
make  some  return.  What,  in  your  opinion,  would  be  the 
best  and  most  comprehensive  economical  way  of  doing  it?  " 

"  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  replied  Walter,  "  I  would 
much  prefer  the  indifference  of  the  most  of  them  to  their 
intimacy;  but  I  suppose  that  you  are  right;  we  cannot  af 
ford  to  turn  these  people  entirely  away  from  us.  Why 
not  have  something  like  the  Morgan's  musicale  ?  " 

227 


228  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Certainly  not.  I  never  pattern  after  another's  per 
formance,  especially  if  it  has  been  a  successful  one.  Be 
sides,  this  house  is  not  suitable  for  it.  I  wish  to  make  it 
something  different  from  any  of  their  accustomed  enter 
tainments  and  one  that  will  be  the  talk  of  the  community." 

"Well,  we  could  arrange  for  a  mask-ball  at  the  Casa 
Alvarado." 

"  No ;  it  would  not  be  a  success.  It  would  be  a  tame 
affair,  in  this  provincial  community.  How  many  do  you 
suppose  could  select  interesting  characters  and  properly  im 
personate  them?  I  had  thought  of  a  fete  champetre,  and 
I  believe  that  it  could  be  arranged  at  not  too  great  expense, 
so  as  to  be  a  novel  and  brilliant  affair.  I  know  a  spot 
properly  adapted  to  it:  Laguna  Blanca,  on  the  Hogan 
rancho." 

After  a  moment's  reflection,  Walter  replied: 

"  It  is  a  very  good  idea,  and  I  must  admit  that  you  could 
not  find  anywhere  a  place  better  suited  to  such  an  enter 
tainment.  If  you  had  a  mind  to  display  as  one  of  its 
features  your  own  talent,  so  far  concealed  from  these  people, 
you  would  certainly  make  it  something  to  talk  about." 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,  and  although  my  heart  has  al 
ways  to  pay  the  penalty,  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  let 
certain  parties  realize  that  I  have  within  me  what  they  do 
not  dream  of  and  what  elevates  me  in  talent  and  accomplish 
ment  above  them  all." 

"  Well,  when  you  are  ready  for  it,  let  me  know,  and  I 
will  assist  you  in  whatever  way  you  wish,"  said  Walter, 
throwing  away  his  cigar,  and  arising  lazily. 

"  Where  are  you  going  now  ?  "   said  his  mother. 

"  I  have  an  appointment  with  a  San  Francisco  party, 
and  it  is  nearly  the  time,"  and  he  walked  away.  When 
some  little  distance  from  the  porch  he  turned  and  called 
to  the  hound,  "Here,  Timon."  The  dog  got  up,  turned 
his  back  upon  him  and  laid  his  head  in  his  mistress* 
lap. 

Mrs.  Stanley's  eyes  followed  Walter  until  he  disap 
peared,  when  she  grew  pale  and  pressed  her  hands  tightly 
to  her  heart,  as  if  to  control  a  paroxysm  of  pain,  and  when 
it  seemed  to  have  passed,  she  said  to  herself: 

"And  is  this  the  result  of  all  my  training?     Is  this  the 


A  FETE  CHAMPETRE  229 

outcome  of  these  long  years  of  sacrifice?  Any  company, 
the  most  disreputable,  is  preferable  to  his  mother's.  A 
useless  drone,  a  sour-tempered  idler,  and,  worse  than  all, 
an  ungrateful  child."  Then  stroking  the  hound's  head, 
she  said,  "  To  think  that  a  dog,  a  blood-hound,  should  have 
a  greater  affection  for  me  and  love  to  be  with  me  more  than 
my  own  son.  Well,  Timon,  you  are  my  only  friend,  the 
only  one  to  stay  by  me,  my  only  protector." 

Mrs.  Stanley  had  Herman  obtain  permission  of  Mr. 
Hogan  for  the  use  of  the  grounds  for  the  fete,  and  arrange 
to  have  musicians  and  mechanics  and  trades  people  meet  her 
and  get  directions  for  the  providing  of  what  she  considered 
necessary  to  make  the  entertainment  enjoyable  and  bril 
liant;  after  which  she  sent  for  Sigismund  and  had  an  in 
terview  with  him. 

As  chance  would  have  it,  when  Herman  returned  to  his 
office  he  found  Mr.  Hogan  and  his  friend,  Capt.  Monoghan, 
awaiting  him.  Mr.  Hogan  was  an  Irishman,  a  successful 
farmer  and  sheep-raiser,  who  had,  with  shrewdness  and 
foresight,  picked  up,  at  a  small  price,  several  different 
tracts  of  land,  aggregating  a  thousand  acres,  adjacent  to 
the  town  of  St.  Agnes,  and  constituting  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  estates  in  the  county,  on  which  were  many  build 
ing  sites  with  picturesque  vistas  and  views  of  mountain  and 
ocean,  and  was,  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  artistically  im 
proved  and  beautified  and  cut  up  into  a  number  of  attrac 
tive  homesteads.  It  went  by  the  name  of  Hogan's  Ranch, 
and  when  in  the  ownership  of  Mr.  Hogan  was  under  one 
enclosure,  and  the  suggestion  of  dividing  it  up  and  selling 
any  parcel  of  it  would  arouse  his  ire  almost  as  much  as 
whistling  "  The  Battle  of  the  Boyne."  He  had,  but  a  few 
days  before,  paid  a  judgment  for  damages  for  forcibly  re 
sisting  the  opening  of  a  county  road  through  a  portion  of 
it  (which  really  enhanced  its  value),  with  the  aid  of  a  stout 
shillalah  with  which  he  played  an  Irish  jig  on  the  heads 
of  the  county  surveyor  and  roadmaster,  and  pitching  the 
surveyor  head  foremost  into  a  bunch  of  prickly-pear. 

Mr.  Hogan  did  not  boast  of,  and  had  rather  a  contempt 
for,  a  superior  education,  and  was  very  well  satisfied  to  go 
no  further  in  the  attainment  of  book  learning  than  printing 
his  own  name,  which  his  wife  had  taught  him.  When  called 


230  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

upon  to  affix  his  signature  to  a  paper,  he  would  square 
himself  solidly  before  the  table,  clutch  the  pen  in  his  right 
fist  and,  propelling  it  with  the  left  hand,  would  announce 
his  progress  along  the  difficult  road,  something  like  this: 
"  Tay,  hach,  o,  jay,  a,  n,  Tay  Hogan,  of  Hogan's  Ranch, 
that's  me  name,  and  dom  the  man  who  says  it  isn't."  He 
was  a  good-hearted,  hospitable  man,  and  a  kind  friend,  and 
proved  to  be  a  good  client  of  Herman's. 

Capt.  Monoghan  was  one  of  the  best,  most  true  and  loyal 
friends  of  Herman's, —  from  the  time  the  latter  pitched  his 
tent  in  St.  Agnes, —  until  death  released  him  (he  was  a  great 
sufferer  in  the  last  years  of  his  life)  some  fifteen  years 
after.  He  owned  a  rancho  some  forty  miles  above  St. 
Agnes.  He  had  been  a  sea-captain,  the  son  of  a  captain 
in  the  British  navy,  where  he  would  himself  have  been, 
had  it  not  been  for  his  defective  hearing.  Before  coming 
to  California  he  had  commanded  a  packet  ship,  running 
into  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  loyal  Catholic,  and  not  long 
after  his  first  meeting  with  Herman,  showed  his  colors  in 
an  emphatic  manner.  He  had  borrowed  from  Herman 
some  volumes  of  Darwin  and  of  Voltaire,  and  when  some 
time  afterwards  he  asked  their  return,  the  Captain  ex 
claimed,  "  Return  them ;  do  you  think  I  would  return  those 
works  of  the  devil?  I  made  a  bonfire  of  them  last  St. 
Patrick's  day." 

The  two  friends  had  come  to  Herman's  office  to  have 
drawn  a  couple  of  bills  of  sale.  Mr.  Hogan  was  trading 
the  Captain  a  stallion  for  a  bull  and  each  wanted  an  evidence 
of  ownership.  There  was  some  little  talk  and  banter  be 
tween  them  before  the  instruments  were  signed. 

"  I  want  yes  to  know,  auld  Monoghan,  that  I  know  your 
dommed  auld  bull  isn't  worth  half  the  value  of  the  stal 
lion.  Why,  the  finest  draft  horses  in  the  country  come 
from  him." 

"  And  well  do  I  know  that,  Hogan,  and  there  is  little 
chance  of  any  more  coming  from  the  auld  beast;  while  I 
am  giving  you  the  finest  young  short-horned  bull  you  can 
find  between  here  and  San  Diego,  and  you  know  it,  you 
auld  diva." 

After  the  trade  was  consummated,  Herman  made  to  Mr. 
Hogan  Mrs.  Stanley's  request,  which  was  at  once  granted, 


A  FETE  CHAMPETRE  231 

with  the  offer  to  have  the  "  auld  woman  "  and  their  boys 
and  girls  give  any  aid  they  could  in  getting  the  grounds 
in  shape  for  the  picnic. 

"  And  how  is  everything  on  the  ranch  going  now,  Mr. 
Hogan?  "  inquired  Herman. 

"  Bad,  Mr.  Thomas ;  ivery  day  of  my  life  there's  worrit 
about  something.  They  pushed  their  dommed  road  through 
me  land,  and  made  me  pay  damages  for  shampooing  that 
red-headed  Yankee  surveyor  wid  tunas,,  whin  he  was  on 
me  land  widout  any  leaf  from  me;  and  now  I'm  in  trouble 
about  the  wather,  I  can't  make  it  run  to  me  house.  I 
had  me  boy,  Tom,  who  is  learnin'  surveying,  run  a  line  for 
the  ditch,  and  I  dug  it,  and  divil  a  bit  will  the  wather  run 
in  it.  I  asked  Capt.  Seymour  about  it,  and  he  says  that 
Tom  surveyed  the  line  all  right,  only  he  made  it  run  up  hill 
from  the  spring  to  the  house,  and  he  tauld  me  I  ought  to 
get  some  sort  of  a  ram,  a  hoighdrawlick  ram,  I  belave  he 
called  it ;  but  I  tauld  him  I  wasn't  going  to  buy  any  more 
rams,  I  spent  too  much  already  in  improving  the  brade  of 
the  shape." 

The  fete  champetre  was,  owing  to  the  elaborate  provisions 
made  for  it,  the  talk  of  the  town,  long  before  it  took  place. 
To  the  trades  people,  mechanics  and  laborers,  who  had 
reason  to  regard  Mrs.  Stanley  as  one  who  never  spent  a 
dime  uselessly  and  ran  her  household  on  a  strictly  economical 
basis,  the  extensive  and  varied  preparations  were  astound 
ing.  A  stage  and  amphitheater  with  seats  sufficient  to 
accommodate  a  hundred  people  were  being  constructed. 
There  were  also  arrangements  for  games  and  sports  and  a 
dancing  floor.  There  was  to  be  a  tourney,  also  exhibitions 
of  horsemanship,  bronco  riding,  and  other  diversions.  Sig. 
Bolero,  the  musician  whose  aria  from  "  Ernani  "  charmed 
Herman,  was  practicing  every  night  to  present  a  part  of 
the  opera  "  II  Ritorno  di  Columella,"  in  costume.  The  invi 
tations  had  gone  to  all  those  who  were  received  in  the  social 
circle  to  which  Mrs.  Stanley  belonged;  no  exceptions  be 
ing  made  against  those  that  were  persona  non  grata  with 
her  or  her  son.  They  had  been  issued  far  enough  in  ad 
vance  of  the  event  to  enable  the  young  men  from  the  out 
lying  ranches  to  be  present. 

The    heavens,    if    they    did    not    inspire    Mrs.    Stanley's 


232  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

great  function,  chose  to  tolerate  it  and  to  bestow  their 
smiles  upon  it.  It  was  a  day  in  early  autumn,  when  the 
ocean  breeze  tempered  the  lingering  heat  of  summer;  when 
a  light  fog  making  dim  the  islands  and  softening  the  moun 
tains,  gave  grateful  freshness  to  the  air.  A  lacework  of 
clouds  screened  the  sun  here  and  there  along  its  path 
way,  and  in  the  morning  cast  grotesque  shadows  on  the 
mountains;  and  as  sunset  pronounced  the  valedictory  upon 
the  day's  exercise,  gathered  in  the  west  in  masses  of  foam 
which  turned  to  crimson  glory  and  then,  as  twilight  stole 
on,  changed  to  solemn  gray,  a  little  lake,  across  whose 
placid  bosom  the  breeze  lightly  skimmed,  leaving  faint 
sparkling  ripples  to  mark  its  course.  It  was  unlike  the 
waters  of  Herman's  boyhood  home;  it  seemed  a  patch  of 
the  sky  fallen  down.  Only  clouds  were  mirrored  in  it, 
except  at  times  the  flying  shadow  of  a  water  fowl;  no  wil 
lows  waved  and  sighed  over  it;  no  reeds  rustled  or  rushes 
bent  on  its  banks;  no  lilies  floated  on  its  bosom;  and  yet 
there  was  a  strange  unimitating,  dreamy  beauty  about  it. 
Down  to  its  banks  around  about  it  the  hills,  beautifully 
wooded  with  live-oaks,  rounded  as  though  by  an  artist's 
trowel,  sloped.  The  soft  brown  tints  of  the  summer  car 
peting  blended  with  the  green  of  the  oaks  and  the  varied 
shades  of  blue  of  mountains  and  sky.  Romantic  ravines 
wound  among  the  hills,  some  leading  to  the  ocean's  shore; 
and  from  each  hill-top  was  pictured  a  peaceful,  pastoral 
scene,  whose  gentle  loveliness  captivated  the  souls  of  those 
in  whom  dwelt  the  love  of  nature. 

The  stage  stood  at  the  foot  of  a  slope  near  to  and  facing 
the  lake,  with  canvas  dressing  room  attached,  in  front 
of  which  were  board  seats  for  the  audience.  Between 
these  and  the  lake  was  quite  a  large  space  staked  out  with 
poles  from  which  floated  different  colored  streamers. 
On  one  side  of  the  dressing  room  was  a  dancing  platform 
where  were  seated  the  Mexican  string-band,  which  played 
continuously  during  the  day  its  limited  number  of  pieces, 
rotating  in  regular  order  like  the  tunes  of  a  hand  organ. 
Under  the  trees  were  tables  and  beside  them  baskets  and 
pails  and  demijohns  from  which  came  all  sorts  of  sub- 
stantials  and  dainties^  in  proper  time  to  load  down  the 
tables. 


A  FETE  CHAMPETRE 

The  Stanleys  had  driven  out  early  in  a  buggy  and  re 
ceived  their  guests.  The  Morgans  and  Baron  Municheisen 
and  his  wife  and  daughter  made  one  party  in  a  commodious 
spring  wagon,  and  Capt.  Seymour  and  Herman,  on  horse 
back,  kept  by  their  side  most  of  the  time.  The  other 
guests  came  in  all  sorts  of  conveyances,  and  some  on  horse 
back;  and  there  was  not  an  invitation  unresponded  to. 
Curiosity  to  witness  everything  that  happened  at  the  novel 
entertainment  made  everyone  prompt,  and  by  ten  o'clock, 
when  the  sports  began,  Laguna  Blanca  presented  a  scene 
of  life  and  brilliancy  which  must  have  startled  and  be 
wildered  the  spirits  of  these  pastoral  solitudes. 

The  amusements  began  with  a  gentlemen's  race,  a  quarter- 
mile  dash,  free  for  all,  in  which  most  of  those  with  mounts 
took   part.      Nearly   all  the   horses   had   some   speed   for   a 
short   race.     Capt.    Seymour   and    Mr.    Bucknill   each   had 
a  pretty  half-breed  brown  mare,  sisters,  both  in  fine  con 
dition  and  beautifully  groomed;  and  Herman  was  mounted 
on  a  stout  chestnut,  with  a  vicious  disposition;  not  much  at 
a  spurt,  but  fairly  fast  for  a  long  race.     The  run  was  a 
spirited   one,   and  May  Queen,  Mr.   Bucknill's  horse,  car 
ried   off  the   prize,   with   Mariposa,   Capt.   Seymour's   nag, 
second.     The  same  three  horses,  with  a  few  others,  ridden 
by    Englishmen    and    native    Californians,    next    took    part 
in  a  hurdle  jumping  contest,  which  was  won  by  May  Queen, 
who  skimmed  over  the  hurdles, —  barely  touching  the  brush 
on  the  top  rail, —  without  any  apparent  effort  or  change  in 
stride.     Herman's  ugly  dispositioned  beast  cleared  several 
of  the  hurdles,  ran  around  one,  and  bucked  over  another. 
Then  followed  vaquero  feats:  picking  up  dimes,  and  writ 
ing  on  the  ground  by  riders  at  full  gallop,  and  lassoing; 
all   skillfully   performed   and   generously    applauded.     The 
last  of  the  forenoon's  diversions  was  the  tourney,  consist 
ing  of  a  cavalry  sabre  play,  and  tilting  at  rings,  in  which 
Capt.   Seymour,   Mr.   Bucknill,  Walter  -  Stanley,   Sigismund 
and    a   half-dozen    others    took    part.     Stanley    was    finely 
mounted  on  a  horse  that  had  been  led  to  the  grounds  by  a 
groom, —  a  well-bred,  jet  black  gelding,  beautifully  bitted 
and  trained  to  obey  the  slightest  direction  of  its  rider, — 
which  he   reserved   for  the  tilting,  not  taking  part  in  the 
sword    contest.     Sigismund    had    a    little,    active    mustang, 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

fairly  bitted,  but  nothing  to  compare  in  training  with 
Stanley's  horse.  Two  lines  of  grotesquely  hewed  and 
painted  wooden  soldiers  were  planted,  the  one  close 
enough  to  the  other  to  necessitate  great  rapidity  of  move 
ment  to  strike  each;  and  between  which  lines  competitors 
were  to  run  the  gauntlet.  Sigismund  voluntarily  took  a 
position  some  distance  in  the  rear,  back  of  all  the  others. 
In  the  charge  of  the  main  body  a  number  of  heads  of  the 
soldiers  were  slashed  and  pared  and  a  few  ears  and  noses 
were  sliced  off,  but  not  a  single  man  was  decapitated. 
When  the  coast  was  clear,  Sigismund  made  a  wild  dash,  his 
gleaming  sabre  flashing  like  a  quiver  of  thunderbolts,  and 
each  soldier's  head  flew  from  his  shoulders  as  down  the 
the  right  line  he  flew;  and  then  wheeling  and  galloping 
back,  he  scalped  each  warrior  on  the  left.  A  tremendous 
roar  of  applause  went  up,  and  the  victor  arose  in  his  stir 
rups,  and  saluted.  The  tilting  was  then  announced  by  a 
trumpeter,  and  Stanley  sprang  lightly  into  his  saddle,  his 
horse  curveting  and  plunging,  while  he  sat  easily  and 
gracefully,  his  double  reins  in  one  hand,  and  his  lance  in 
the  other,  quietly  curbing  and  calming  him.  He  was  evi 
dently  a  perfect  graduate  of  a  fashionable  riding  school. 
His  lance  was  one  of  those  he  had  used  in  many  matches 
and  which  he  had  brought  with  him  from  the  East.  They 
were  perfectly  made  and  balanced,  while  all  those  of  the 
others  were  home-made  and  defective  in  weight  and  poise. 
It  was  Stanley  who  had  suggested  this  particular  trial 
of  skill;  it  was  his  favorite  diversion,  and  of  which  he  was 
a  master.  All  were  quickly  left  behind,  except  Stanley, 
Sigismund  and  Capt.  Seymour.  But  the  superior  equip 
ment,  finished  skill  and  practice  of  Stanley  was  too  much 
for  them.  He  was  himself  evidently  in  excellent  trim, 
and  won  by  taking  every  ring,  leaving  Sigismund  and 
Capt.  Seymour,  who  were  a  tie,  not  as  far  behind  as 
might  have  been  expected  from  being  so  handicapped.  If 
not  as  uproarious  as  that  bestowed  upon  Sigismund,  the 
applause  was  prolonged  and  hearty,  and  Capt.  Seymour 
noticed  that  Anna  clapped  her  hands  with  delight,  and  he 
heard  her  exclaim,  "  Most  beautifully,  most  gracefully 
won."  And  he  rode  slowly  away,  with  disconsolate  looks, 
to  where  he  kept  his  horse  tethered.  Mr.  ap  Williams, 


A  FETE  CHAMPETRE  235 

turning  to  Mr.  Macdonald  who,  in  kilts  and  tarten  and 
cap,  was  acting  as  master  of  ceremonies,  every  now  and 
then  glancing  admiringly  down  at  his  knotted  calves,  said: 
"  I  have  seen  young  fellows  in  Wales,  at  full  gallop,  hurl 
a  lance  through  a  dozen  rings  a  foot  apart,  spitting  them 
like  a  brochette." 

"  I'm  beginning  to  think/'  said  the  Highlander,  "  that 
there  are  more  lees  on  a  Welshman's  tongue  than  there  are 
ticks  on  a  St.  Agnes  deer.  But  these  were  bonnie  sports 
and  weel  played." 

Macdonald  then  strode  rapidly  to  the  stage,  Sigismund 
following  him,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  He  ran  up  the 
steps  and  facing  the  people,  announced  in  stentorian  tones: 
"  It  is  now  the  hour  o  noon.  The  tables  are  spread  wi 
gude  things,  an  all  are  bade  to  fill  themsels  an  be  ready 
for  the  afternoon's  entertainment  which  commences  at 
sharp  two." 

Here  Sigismund,  who  had  snatched  a  violin  from  one  of 
the  orchestra,  and  mounted  the  stage  through  the  dressing 
room,  started  the  Highland  fling,  in  a  spirited  and  seduc 
tive  way  that  was  irresistible  to  Mr.  Macdonald;  and  first 
one  foot  went  up  and  then  the  other,  and  the  Highlander 
was  dancing,  legs  and  arms,  as  if  for  the  Caladonian  cham 
pionship,  hardly  conscious  of  the  presence  of  an  onlooker; 
and  the  people  laughed,  and  clapped  their  hands  and 
shouted.  And  when  the  last  blow  was  struck  by  those 
boasted  calves,  John  Stuart  presented  the  proud  Scot,  amid 
a  thunder  of  applause,  with  a  bottle  of  Scotch  whiskey, 
filched  from  the  Highlander's  own  hamper,  and  an  arti 
choke, —  the  nearest  thing  he  could  find  to  a  thistle. 

The  luncheon,  bountiful  and  elaborate  in  substantial  as 
it  was,  was  heartily  partaken  of  and  enjoyed,  and  the  events 
of  the  morning  furnished  topics  of  lively  conversation  for 
the  different  groups  of  guests,  and  Sigismund,  Stanley  and 
Seymour  were  loaded  with  compliments  on  their  skill.  The 
Stanleys  and  Mr.  Bucknill  had  joined  Col.  Morgan's  party; 
Mr.  Bucknill  devoting  himself  to  Martha,  and  Walter 
Stanley  to  Anna,  with  whom  he  carried  on  a  vivacious  con 
versation,  telling  her  many  incidents  of  his  New  York 
life  in  an  easy  and  racy  way.  Mrs.  Stanley,  with  great 
tact,  won  the  interest  of  Col.  Morgan  in  her  description  of 


236  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

celebrities  of  the  opera  and  drama  she  had  personally  met, 
and  the  old  gentleman  commenced  to  debate  within  himself 
as  to  whether  his  first  impression  of  mother  and  son  were 
not  unjust.  Walter  Stanley's  perfect  skill  in  a  game  the 
favorite  of  his  youthful  days,  and  his  agreeable  manners, 
for  the  time  being,  awakened  his  admiration  and  dulled  his 
feeling  of  distrust.  Capt.  Seymour  and  Herman,  who  re 
ceived  no  part  of  the  hero  worship,  strolled  off  to  smoke 
their  pipes  together  in  congenial  disgruntledness. 

At  two  sharp,  a  gong  was  struck,  and  Mr.  Macdonald 
again  appeared  on  the  stage  and  proclaimed  that  the  after 
noon's  entertainment  would  begin  with  the  presentation  of  a 
scene  from  the  tragedy  of  "  Medea,"  in  which  Mrs.  Stanley 
would  appear  in  the  title  roll,  and  Mr.  Sigismund  as  Jason; 
that  immediately  after  the  tragedy  Sig.  Bolero,  with  his 
amateur  troupe  of  singers,  would  render  portions  of  the 
opera  "  II  Ritorno  di  Columella  " ;  that  the  audience  were  re 
quested  to  refrain  from  talking  during  the  performance. 

It  is  impossible  for  the  chronicler  to  describe  the  act 
ing  and  declamation  of  Mrs.  Stanley,  and  the  effect  it  had 
upon  the  spell-bound  audience.  Sigismund,  carried  away 
with  its  power,  responded  in  his  part,  with  talent  few 
professionals  could  aspire  to.  Her  enunciation  was  so 
clear  and  distinct  that  the  lowest  word  reached  the  listener's 
ear,  and  in  her  bursts  of  passionate  declamation,  her  voice 
swelled  in  volume  until  it  seemed  to  fill  the  valley  and  echo 
in  the  hill-tops.  No  one  present  had  ever  in  their  lives 
seen  or  heard  such  a  wonderful  rendition  of  mingled  fury 
and  tenderness,  love  and  hatred,  cunning  and  pride,  as 
she  embodied  in  the  character  of  the  beautiful  sorceress, 
and  the  audience  paled  and  shuddered  when  she  steeled  her 
soul  to  the  unnatural  deed,  and  in  passionate,  sobbing, 
despairing  accents,  cried: 

"  But  come,  be  armed,  my  heart;  why  delay  this  dread 
ful  deed?  Come  grasp  the  sword,  O  wretched  hand  of 
mine,  grasp  it,  and  advance  to  this  life's  bitter  goal.  Be 
not  a  coward;  nor  remember  how  dear  thy  children  are,  and 
that  thou  it  was  that  brought  them  into  the  world;  for 
this  short  day  at  least,  forget  they  are  thy  children  — 
lament  hereafter.  For  though  thou  slayest  them,  they  yet 
to  thee  were  dear ;  but  I  —  most  wretched  of  women." 


A  FfiTE  CHAMPETRE  237 

Walter  Stanley  had  risen,,  and  stood,  his  hand  rigidly 
grasping  his  lance,  with  which  he  had  been  toying,  while 
talking  to  Anna,  his  face  pale  and  mouth  set,  and  his 
eyes  fixed,  with  an  expression  like  terrible  dread,  upon 
his  mother,  who  seemed  to  fasten  her  gaze  upon  him. 

"  My  God,"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  never  heard  her  in  this." 

The  Baron  drew  in  a  long  breath,  and  turning  to  the 
Colonel  said,  "  I  never  before  believed  that  woman  killed 
her  children,  but  I  believe  it  now."  Little  Beatrice  had 
buried  her  head  in  her  mother's  bosom,  her  little  frame 
trembling  with  fear.  As  Sigismund  appeared  from  the 
dressing  room,  he  said  to  Herman: 

"  Mon  ami,  our  friend  Walter  had  better  be  careful  about 
raising  the  devil  in  his  dear  mother,  for  she  would  not  hesi 
tate  as  long  as  did  the  character  she  immortalized  to-day,  to 
sever  with  a  blade  or  bullet  the  maternal  relation.  But  she 
is  a  genius,  and  I  would  be  most  happy  to  be  her  manager  in 
a  starring  tour.  People  will  now  be  transferring  their  in- 
quisitiveness  from  me  to  her,  and  be  trying  to  discover 
her  origin  and  early  history." 

Before  the  people  could  recover  from  the  spell  of  Mrs. 
Stanley's  acting,  and  sound  a  note  of  applause,  the  opera 
had  commenced;  but  not  until  the  admirable  buffo  sing 
ing  and  acting  of  Sig.  Bolero  as  Columella,  in  the  Charlatan 
scene,  did  they  fully  recover  their  full  consciousness  and 
give  way  to  merriment  and  applause. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

HERMAN    STARTS    CAMPAIGNING 

THE  proper  time  for  the  opening  of  an  active  political 
campaign  in  St.  Agnes  could  be  as  readily  determined,  by 
certain  infallible  indications,  as  could  any  periodically 
occurring  event  in  nature.  At  such  time  the  families  of 
most  of  the  native  population  became  ill,  or  destitute,  and 
an  incredible  number  seemed  to  die  and  require  proper 
burial,  or  the  children  had  to  have  clothes  to  be  decently 
confirmed  in.  Also  there  appeared  to  be  an  epidemic  of  ac 
cidents  and  of  rheumatism  among  the  able-bodied  men,  un 
fitting  them  to  earn  their  living  by  work,  and  it  became 
the  solemn  duty  of  the  candidates  to  furnish  the  means 
to  relieve  these  conditions  of  distress  and  provide  for  these 
wants.  Then,  anyone  that  could  scrape  a  few  notes  on  the 
fiddle,  pound  a  drum,  strum  a  guitar,  or  sing,  with  a  good 
nasal  twang  "  Mi  gustan  todas,"  developed  into  a  musician 
whose  services  would  be  invaluable  in  creating  enthusiasm 
and  winning  votes.  A  number  of  skilled  cooks  would  spring 
up  who  could  cook  to  perfection,  in  true  Mexican  style, 
anything  from  a  tamale  to  a  bull's  head,  baked  in  a  hole 
in  the  ground,  and  whose  skill  was  a  necessity  to  satisfy 
the  stomachs  and  seduce  the  allegiance  of  the  voters.  Idle 
vaqueros  at  that  time  patroled  the  streets  ready  to  ride  any 
distance  and  deliver  any  letters  or  instructions  or  packets 
to  workers.  It  was  wonderful  how  everyone  you  met,  ac 
cording  to  his  own  assertion,  could  control  a  score  or  more 
of  other  voters  who  would  do  just  as  he  commanded. 
There  were  as  many  leaders  among  them  as  there  are  noble 
men  in  Poland,  and  each  one  required  a  goodly  fund  to 
spend  in  drinks,  cigars  and  came  con  chili  with  his  re 
tainers.  It  was  considered  no  disgrace,  rather  an  honor 
able  privilege,  to  levy  toll  upon  a  candidate  for  any  of 
such  purposes.  There  was  one  saving  characteristic  in 


HERMAN  STARTS  CAMPAIGNING  239 

these  tax  gatherers,  the  only  thing  that  preserved  an  offi 
cer's  salary  from  complete  annihilation  in  the  process  of 
obtaining  the  office,  and  that  was,  while  they  would  ask 
of  you  twenty  dollars  they  would  cheerfully  accept  one, 
and  have  been  known  to  compromise  on  "  two  bits." 

The  drain  had  already  begun  on  Herman's  ready  money, 
and  he  realized  that  it  was  best  to  bestir  himself  in  vote 
making.  No  such  foolish  principle  prevailed  in  St.  Agnes 
that  the  office  should  seek  the  man,  but  everyone,  from 
the  highest  to  the  lowest,  thought  his  vote  worth  asking  for, 
and  it  was  considered  a  want  of  appreciation  of  his  in 
fluence  and  a  personal  slight  not  to  request  it.  What  little 
canvassing  was  needed  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
town  of  St.  Agnes,  which  was  his  stronghold,  had  already 
been  made. 

Dr.  Vanderpool  had  also  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
time  had  come  for  him  to  drive  Herman  through  the  north 
ern  end  of  the  county;  besides,  he  wished  to  visit  without 
further  delay  the  Domingo  Ortega  tract,  do  a  little  pros 
pecting,  and  plan  to  get  some  revenue  from  it,  in  anticipa 
tion  of  the  development  of  its  hidden  wealth.  So  he  ar 
ranged  with  another  orthodox  physician,  an  Englishman, 
who  had  once  been  a  surgeon  on  a  British  liner,  now 
married  and  settled  for  life  in  St.  Agnes,  to  attend  to  the 
ailments,  real  and  imaginary,  of  his  patients  in  his  ab 
sence.  Mrs.  Stanley,  who  had  been  under  his  constant 
care  since  the  picnic's  strain  upon  her  nervous  system,  had 
just  told  him  that  it  would  be  a  relief  to  her  to  have  him 
out  of  sight  for  sometime,  and  so  he  was  free  to  make  the 
trip.  As  there  were  no  ladies  of  the  "  Smart  Set "  to  call 
upon  and  no  fashionable  audiences  to  appear  before,  and 
linen  shirts  on  a  ranch  being  deemed  an  affectation,  the 
Doctor's  buggy,  which  was  provided  with  a  brake,  easily 
carried  the  two  and  their  luggage. 

The  itinerary  was  to  cross  the  mountains,  by  the  San 
Lucas  Pass;  spend  the  night  at  the  home  of  Don  Ramon 
del  Monte,  near  the  old  mission  of  Santa  Anita  on  El 
Camino  Real,  and  drive  from  there  through  the  ranches 
held  under  Mexican  grant;  and  returning  by  the  Cordero 
Pass  and  the  coast,  putting  up  at  night  at  certain  ranch 
houses  whose  proprietors  Herman  knew — everyone  knew  the 


*40     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Doctor.  The  trip,  with  Herman,  as  well  as  with  the 
Doctor,  was  not  altogether  in  the  interest  of  politics.  He 
wished  to  go  over  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho,  have  a  talk 
with  Antonio  Castanos,  and  also  interview  Gen.  Peters, 
at  his  road  house  at  the  head  of  Cordero  Pass,  where  they 
had  planned  to  spend  a  night. 

The  first  day's  drive  was  over  the  mountain.  The  nar 
row,  rough  road,  with  steep  grades,  requiring  the  hind  wheels 
of  the  stages  to  be  locked  with  a  chain  and  of  other  con 
veyances  with  at  least  a  stout  rope,  ran  along  about  the 
trail  Fremont  had  taken  when  he  crossed  the  mountains, 
into  St.  Agnes.  The  view  was  grand  and  grew  grander 
as  they  ascended;  the  valleys  slowly  receding;  hills  that 
below  were  mountains  shutting  the  seashore  from  sight, 
sinking  into  the  plane,  as  the  ocean  stole  up  from  the  hori 
zon  and  gradually  spread  out  a  gleaming  girdle  from  main 
land  to  islands;  the  stretching  out  from  the  mountain-side 
of  ravine  after  ravine,  hidden  from  the  lower  levels,  in 
which  rested  homes  and  vineyards  and  orchards,  and  then 
hills,  valleys  and  ravines  blending  into  one  great  length 
of  many-hued  ocean-bordered  carpeting,  spread  for  miles, 
three  thousand  feet  below;  and  when  the  summit  was 
reached,  a  grand  panorama  of  the  landscape,  framed  in 
rugged,  broken  mountain  sides,  with  ribs  of  rock  and  prom 
ontories  and  peaks,  brilliant  in  ever-changing  tints. 
Down  from  the  summit  on  the  other  side  the  grade  was 
easier,  and  the  road  led  through  woods  and  across  moun 
tain  streams,  and  as  it  approached  the  Santa  Anita  Valley, 
skirting  the  steep  bluff  of  the  river,  the  mountains,  lost 
to  sight  from  the  crest  down,  emerged  into  view,  more 
broken  and  varied  in  features  and  coloring  than  where  they 
stood  guard  over  the  St.  Agnes  valley,  while  rising  beyond 
them  were  the  picturesque  peaks  of  the  remoter  range. 

Neither  one  of  the  travelers  was  inclined  that  morning  to 
be  talkative.  The  Doctor  chirruped  to  the  horses  and 
played  his  accustomed  tattoo  with  the  reins  on  their  backs, 
and  here  and  there  pointed  out  certain  land  marks. 

Beautiful  scenery,  like  fine  music,  always  unchained  the 
fancy  of  Herman,  and  set  him  improvising  pictures  of  his 
own.  A  rare  delight  and  resource  when  the  eyes  grow 
dim  and  the  ears  can  no  longer  hear  the  whisperings  of 


HERMAN  STARTS  CAMPAIGNING          241 

the  world  of  matter,  and  her  perfumes  cease  to  enchant  the 
impaired  senses,  which  the  worshiper  of  nature  in  her 
visible  forms  in  detail  and  a  realist  cannot  invoke.  The 
peculiarity  of  the  shifting  scenes  of  the  landscape  as  they 
journeyed  upward  was  the  inspiration  of  a  picture  he 
painted  in  the  climbing  of  a  true  soul  from  the  lower  levels 
to  the  nobler  heights. 

Herman's  revery  came  to  an  end  as  the  Doctor  pulled 
up  under  a  clump  of  trees  beside  a  cool  mountain  stream, 
and  gave  the  order,  "  Get  out  the  lunch  basket,  boy,  and 
put  those  beer  bottles  under  that  little  water-fall,  while 
I  tie  up." 

He  obeyed  orders,  and  the  lunch  soon  disappeared,  to 
the  last  crumb;  and  then  a  smoke  and  a  little  siesta  and  the 
couple  were  again  en  route. 

Just  before  reaching  the  valley  of  Santa  Anita,  some 
distance  from  the  road,  in  a  grove  of  trees,  the  Doctor 
caught  sight  of  a  little  column  of  smoke. 

"  Humph,  campers.  We  will  see  who  they  are.  May 
get  a  haunch  of  venison  to  help  Don  Ramon  along  in  his 
supper ;  "  and  so  saying,  the  Doctor  turned  aside  and  drove 
up  to  what  proved  to  be,  as  he  divined,  a  camp.  A  fat 
red-faced  young  fellow  was  slicing  some  venison  ready  for 
frying,  on  one  side  of  the  fire,  and  on  the  other,  a  stoutly 
built  man  with  a  defect  in  one  eye  was,  with  little  regard 
to  conventionalities,  taking  a  bath  in  a  bread  pan. 

"Humph,"  muttered  the  Doctor;  "Finland  and  his  affi 
davit-man.  Helloa,  agramensor;  anything  new  ?  " 

"  Que  ay,  Doctor !  How  are  you,  Thomas  ?  Thought, 
Doctor,  you'd  be  sneaking  around  just  at  this  time.  Will 
be  at  your  ranch  day  after  to-morrow." 

"  Helloa,  boy,"  said  the  Doctor,  turning  to  the  party  con 
ducting  the  culinary  operation;  "see  you  have  a  fine  deer. 
More  than  you  two  can  get  away  with,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Twice  as  much  as  we  want,  Doctor,"  said  Finland; 
"  and  if  that's  what  you're  aiming  at,  we'll  divvy  with 
you,  if  you  will  hand  us  over  a  couple  of  cigars.  I  sup 
pose  you  are  doing  a  little  campaign  work,  Thomas?  I'm 
in  better  luck,  I'm  the  only  darned  fool  that  will  accept 
the  office  of  County  Surveyor,  in  this  God-forsaken  county, 
which  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long  and  —  it 


242  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

seems  to  me  —  as  many  wide ;  and  three  quarters  of  it  moun 
tains  a  goat  can't  climb."  And  Mr.  Finland  took  his  shirt 
from  his  tripod,  where  it  had  been  hanging,  and  dried 
himself  with  it. 

"  Where  have  you  been?  "  asked  the  Doctor. 

"  Oh,  I  have  been  running  a  line  for  old  Capt.  Monoghan, 
and  it  was  a  devil  of  a  job.  When  he  takes  off  his  boots 
and  rolls  his  pants  up  above  his  knees  and  strikes  across 
country,  there  isn't  a  man  in  the  county,  unless  its  old  Mac- 
donald,  can  follow  him.  And  then  he  keeps  pointing  out 
what  he  calls  monuments  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  so  out 
side  where  the  true  ones  are,  to  make  the  ranch  as  big 
as  he  can.  I'm  a  pretty  good  witness  generally  on  bound 
aries  I  survey,  or  I  would  not  be  a  U.  S.  Deputy  Sur 
veyor,  but  d — • — d  if  my  conscience  and  reputation  would 
let  me  swear  through  the  lines  he  wants.  He  keeps  sing 
ing  out, .  *  Sou,  Sou- West,  a  little  Southerly ; '  and  said  I 
knew  as  much  about  surveying  as  a  ship's  lawyer,  and 
wanted  me  to  box  the  compass.  Do  you  think,  George, 
you  could  swear  through  the  line  the  Captain  wants  ?  " 

"  It  makes  no  difference  to  me,"  said  George,  tl  you're 
the  boss;  I  swear  to  what  you  want  and  don't  swear  to 
what  you  don't  want.  All  affidavits  are  the  same  to  me." 

"  Well,  it's  getting  late,  we  must  be  off,"  said  the  Doctor ; 
and  he  and  Herman  renewed  their  journey,  handicapped 
with  the  greater  portion  of  Mr.  Finland's  deer.  They 
arrived  in  good  season  at  the  home  of  Don  Ramon,  a 
long  comfortable  ranch  house  on  a  little  mesa  not  far 
from  the  bank  of  the  Santa  Anita  River,  with  shade  trees 
about  it.  Don  Ramon  and  two  or  three  of  his  sons  went 
out  to  meet  the  visitors  and  an  Indian  unpacked  the  buggy 
and  another  led  the  horses  to  the  stable. 

"  Senores,  amigos  queridos,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you. 
I  welcome  you  to  our  humble  home.  We  poor  rancheros 
are  too  seldom  cheered  with  a  visit  from  our  friends  from 
Town.  Come,  the  ladies  will  be  charmed  to  meet  you." 
And  Don  Ramon  led  the  way  to  the  house.  On  a  chair 
on  the  porch  sat  an  old  man  with  snow-white  hair  and 
beard,  and  boyish  complexion,  neatly  dressed  in  black, 
who  arose  as  they  came  up  and  bowed. 

"  This,   gentlemen,  is   our   good   friend,  Dr.   Delglada, 


HERMAN  STARTS  CAMPAIGNING          243 

one  of  the  family/'  said  Don  Ramon.  "  He  is  like  a 
Chinese  doctor;  with  his  simples  he  keeps  us  all  from  get 
ting  sick ;  and  if  by  chance  when  he  is  not  around  an  ailment 
gets  hold  of  some  one  of  us,  he  vigorously  purges  it  away 
with  senna  and  native  herbs  —  no,  medico  mio?  " 

"  Your  servant,  gentlemen,"  said  the  old  man.  "  Don 
Ramon  is  right,  my  remedies  are  simples;  but  it  is  with 
simples  that  nature  prolongs  life.  Look  at  me,  gentlemen; 
am  I  not  a  well  preserved  man?  Yet,  I  am  considerably 
over  four  score.  It  is  these  simples  that  keep  me  young. 
Without  charge,  I  am  willing  to  impart  my  secrets  to 
others.  Now,  Mr.  Thomas,  if  you  get  a  twinge  of  rheu 
matism,  take  three  cups  of  ptisan  a  day,  and  for  dinner 
eat  a  boiled  bell  pepper,  stuffed  with  olives  and  onion. 
If  you  are  threatened  with  a  fever,  take  three  cups  of  ptisan 
a  day,  two  prickly  pears,  or  if  they  are  not  in  season,  a 
few  slices  of  pumpkin  and  a  tortillo  rubbed  with  garlic. 
If  you  have  indications  of  a  cold,  take  three  cups  of  ptisan 
a  day,  two  soft  boiled  eggs  with  some  salsa  and  a  little 
honey.  If  you  have  drunk  too  much  the  day  before  take 
three  cups  of  ptisan,  and  leek  soup  a  la  bordelaise." 

"  Very  good,  Doctor,  very  good,"  said  Don  Ramon, 
"  but  do  not  give  Mr.  Thomas  too  many  remedies  at  one 
time,  as  he  might  get  confused,  and  take  the  rheumatism 
prescription  to  sober  up  on." 

"Well,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Dr.  Delglada,  "I  will  be 
most  pleased  to  instruct  you  in  my  specifics  to  prevent 
disease.  They  are  all  simple  products  of  nature,  and  I 
treat  myself  and  others  just  as  nature  prompts  one.  Have 
not  you  remarked,  how  nature  in  its  thoughtfulness  regu 
lates  the  seasons;  the  currants  and  gooseberries  come  first 
to  flush  the  system,  and  then  later  it  sends  the  season  of 
blackberries  to  shut  off  the  flow." 

Herman  thought  of  Dr.  Sanglado,  and  expected  him  to 
include  bleeding  in  the  treatment. 

The  living  room,  comfortably  furnished,  with  a  piano 
and  guitars  in  one  corner,  was  quite  crowded.  Dona 
Maria  Antonia,  the  wife  of  Don  Ramon,  with  a  bevy  of 
young  ladies  about  her, —  several  of  them  her  daughters, 
four  or  five  sons  and  some  visitors  from  neighboring  ranchos 
were  present.  Don  Ramon  ushered  the  two  new  arrivals 


244  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

into  the  room  and  introduced  Herman  to  each  and  all, 
while  the  Doctor,  who  was  known  to  everybody,  exchanged 
greetings  right  and  left.  Herman,  diffident  as  he  was, 
and  particularly  shy  about  expressing  himself  in  Spanish, 
was  spared  a  trying  effort  to  be  talkative,  as  Don  Ramon 
was  only  too  glad  to  monopolize  the  conversation,  After 
a  few  minutes  spent  in  becoming  acquainted,  Herman  and 
the  Doctor  were  shown  into  a  comfortable  bedroom,  the 
neatness  of  which  would  have  been  satisfactory  to  a  New 
England  housewife,  where  they  got  rid  of  the  dust  of  travel, 
preparatory  to  gratifying  an  appetite  of  no  small  pro 
portions.  Soon  after  their  return  to  the  salon,  dinner  was 
announced  and  they  repaired  to  the  dining-room  and  sat 
down  to  a  long  table;  Herman  being  placed  at  the  right 
hand  of  Don  Ramon,  and  Dr.  Vanderpool  between  two 
of  the  liveliest  of  the  young  ladies  who  kept  him  con 
stantly  on  the  alert  to  parry  their  sallies  which  were 
particularly  addressed  to  his  devotion  to  the  fair  sex  in 
general  and  his  failure  to  tie  himself  to  any  individual  one. 

"  Humph,"  said  the  Doctor  after  considerable  chaffing 
from  the  young  ladies,  "  a  Doctor,  a  soldier,  or  a  sailor, 
ought  never  to  get  married,  any  more  than  a  priest,  at 
least  until  they  are  on  the  retired  list,  unless  he  wants 
a  taste  of  purgatory  before  his  time.  Wives  are  always 
jealous." 

"  Oh,  maldito"  exclaimed  one  of  the  fair  ones,  "  you  are 
growing  vain,  indeed;  and  what  woman  would  be  jealous 
about  you,  Sefior  Doctor?  A  woman  is  jealous  of  no 
body  who  has  no  sentiment  and  is  not  capable  of  falling  in 
love." 

"  You  might  think  differently  as  to  my  having  sentiment 
and  being  able  to  fall  in  love,  if  I  could  come  oftener  to 
Santa  Anita,"  replied  the  Doctor. 

The  dinner  was  an  excellent,  as  well  as  a  bountiful  one, 
the  venison  having  arrived  in  time  to  appear  as  a  delicious 
dish;  and  Herman  had  never  before  realized  how  much 
delicacy  of  flavor  could  be  given  a  stuffed  onion  and  an 
ensalada  a  I'espanol.  He  looked  from  his  host  down  the 
table  to  the  hostess,  and  he  thought  of  the  hospitality  of 
the  olden  times,  as  painted  in  Spanish  romance. 


HERMAN  STARTS  CAMPAIGNING          245 

When  the  dessert  appeared,  Don  Ramon  filled  his  glass, 
arose  and  addressed  those  present: 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen :  It  has  been  my  honor  and 
privilege  to  make  you  acquainted  this  evening  with  my  dis 
tinguished  young  friend,  Mr.  Thomas,  who  is  a  candidate 
for  district  attorney  of  our  county.  As  you  see,  he  is  a 
gentleman  that  a  Spaniard  might  feel  proud  of  voting  for 
and  one  that  would  fill  the  office  with  honor  and  ability; 
and  you  will  notice  the  marked  contrast  between  him  and 
his  opponent  who  visited  us  a  few  evenings  ago  and  has 
left  his  marks  in  the  tobacco-juice  frescoings  upon  our  floors. 
[  wish  to  pledge  his  health  and  success  and  ask  you  to 
join  me." 

Bravos  and  the  clapping  of  hands  and  the  emptying  of 
glasses  followed  the  toast,  and  Herman  in  a  few  words 
gracefully  thanked  his  host  and  all  those  who  had  so 
heartily  wished  him  success.  Whereupon  the  applause 
was  heartier  than  ever.  It  might  be  well  to  say  here  that 
Don  Ramon  and  his  retainers  worked  and  voted  for  his 
opponent.  He  was  on  his,  the  Democratic  ticket,  which  was 
headed  with  his  friend,  Nicholas  le  Roy,  the  candidate  for 
sheriff,  and  it  was  too  much  trouble,  and  might  create  con 
fusion  to  do  any  scratching.  It  was  a  lesson  to  Herman  not 
to  interpret  a  Spaniard's  political  loyalty  or  devotion  from 
his  hospitality  or  polite  social  attention. 

The  evening  was  spent  merrily  in  conversation  and  music, 
to  which  Herman  contributed  his  mite,  and  a  waltz  or 
two  in  which  he  took  part,  with  partners  as  light  as  feathers 
and  graceful  as  fairies.  When  the  Doctor  and  he  retired 
to  their  room,  Herman  expressed  his  satisfaction  and  pleas 
ure  with  their  reception  and  the  evening's  doings,  and  said, 
"  Well,  Doctor,  Don  Ramon  will  doubtless  carry  this  pre 
cinct  for  me  by  a  nice  majority." 

"  Humph,  wait,  my  boy,  till  after  election.  With  our 
worthy  host,  it  is  a  case  of  mi  gustan  -todos,  and  the  devil 
will  only  know  before  election  day  which  candidate  mi 
gusta  mas. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

RANCH    LIFE    AND    DIVERSIONS 

THE  campaigners  were  up  bright  and  early  and  walked 
out  into  the  glow  of  the  approaching  sunrise  and  drank  in 
the  cool  crisp  air;  for  if  the  days  in  Santa  Anita  were 
warmer,  away  from  the  mists  of  the  sea-coast,  the  nights 
were  cool  and  bracing;  and  in  winter  the  pools  and  puddles 
at  daybreak  had  a  film  of  ice  on  them,  and  the  breeze 
waylaid  by  the  snow-capped  peaks  of  the  San  Rafael 
Range  bit  like  a  breath  from  a  northern  clime.  Dr.  Del- 
glada  was  taking  his  morning  constitutional,  doubtless  after 
a  cup  of  ptisan,  in  front  of  the  house  and  greeted  our  friends 
cordially,  and  a  number  of  Indians  were  about,  engaged 
in  different  employments;  carrying  water  or  fagots,  leading 
horses  and  driving  sheep  and  cattle. 

"  There  seems  to  be  quite  a  tribe  of  Indians  here,"  re 
marked  Herman  to  Dr.  Delglada. 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  is,  as  you  know,  a  rancheria  on  the  river 
near  here,  and  they  all  look  upon  Don  Ramon  as  their  feudal 
lord,  and  work  for  him  and  obey  him  in  everything,  fight 
for  him  and  swear  for  him  as  witnesses  to  whatever  he  wants 
to  prove,  and  they  think  I  am  a  great  medicine  man." 

Here  the  party  was  joined  by  Don  Ramon  who  shook 
hands  with  them  warmly,  inquired  how  they  had  spent  the 
night,  and  invited  them  to  take  coffee  and  a  tortillo.  The 
travelers  could  not  wait  for  the  substantial  dejeuner  a  la 
forchette  which  came  a  few  hours  later;  but  found  when 
they  started  that  a  bountiful  lunch  had  been  stored  in  the 
buggy  by  the  direction  of  the  thoughtful  host.  The  whole 
family  gathered  to  say  good-by  and  wish  the  visitors  an 
enjoyable  tour. 

Herman  was  charmed  with  the  beauty  of  the  Santa  Anita 
Valley,  and  as  they  drove  along  expressed  his  pleasure  and 
enjoyment.  It  was  a  rolling  country  with  beautiful  slopes, 

946 


RANCH  LIFE  AND  DIVERSIONS  247 

with  groves  of  live-oaks,  through  which  wound  pic 
turesquely  the  Santa  Anita  River,  its  banks  skirted  with 
trees  and  plants,  and  the  mountain  ranges  towering  above, 
brilliant  in  changing  hues.  There  was  a  bewitching  spirit 
of  peace  that  seemed  to  hover  over  the  landscape,  and  the 
pipings  of  the  song-birds,  and  the  liquid  notes  of  the  quail, 
and  the  mournful  cooing  of  the  doves,  were  a  choir  in  accord 
with  the  genius  of  the  scene.  The  Santa  Anita  valley  dif 
fered  distinctly  from  the  St.  Agnes  valley,  and  the  range  of 
mountains  separating  them  appeared  to  be  the  boundary 
line  between  two  countries,  differing  in  physical  aspect  and, 
to  a  certain  degree,  in  climate.  By  crossing  the  mountain 
chain,  the  inhabitants  of  the  one  could  find  in  the  other 
holiday  change  of  scene  and  healthful  contrast  in  climate, 
as  marked  and  beneficial  as  in  a  trip  to  another  continent; 
and  at  the  present  day,  when  St.  Agnes  has  become  a  city 
of  wealthy  people  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  there  are 
in  the  beautiful  Santa  Anita  hotels  and  cottages,  the  resort, 
at  nearly  all  seasons,  of  residents  of  St.  Agnes,  who  bask 
in  the  warm  sunshine  and  grow  strong  in  the  evening's 
crisp  cold;  wander  over  her  slopes,  through  her  ravines  and 
up  her  mountain  sides,  with  rod  and  gun,  for  the  game  is 
still  plentiful  and  the  trout  have  not  been  exterminated 
from  the  streams.  They  drove  up  the  valley,  skirting  the 
hills  and  through  a  long  ravine,  a  miniature  mountain  pass, 
stopping  at  the  few  homes  on  their  way  and  meeting  now 
and  then  sheep  and  cattle  men  and  interviewing  all,  giving 
Herman's  election  cards.  At  noon  they  halted  at  a  spring, 
watered  and  staked  out  their  horses  to  browse  upon  the 
alfileria,  the  native  clover,  and  ate  Don  Ramon's  lunch 
and  enjoyed  the  exquisite  luxury  of  the  California  traveler's 
noon-day  siesta  on  the  road.  After  resuming  their  journey, 
as  they  approached  a  ranch  house,  one  of  the  stage  stations, 
where  relays  of  horses  were  stabled,  they  were  greeted  with 
a  remarkable  spectacle.  Chairs  and  tables  came  flying  out 
of  the  door  followed  by  a  red-faced  old  man  with  a  re 
volver  in  his  hand,  who  was  screaming  out  the  most  fear 
ful  imprecations.  He  threw  his  hat  on  the  ground,  and 
dancing  on  it,  sent  forth  a  torrent  of  blood-curdling  blas 
phemies,  calling  the  deity  the  most  terrible  names  and  shoot 
ing  his  revolver  up  into  the  sky.  Some  of  his  children 


248  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

strolled  out  after  him,  one  a  tall,  dark-skinned,  sable  haired 
and  bearded  man,  with  flashing  eyes  and  a  desperate  look. 
They  simply  stood  upon  the  porch  and  watched  the  old 
man  as  they  would  a  mad  bull,  while  on  his  ox-cart  just 
ready  to  start,  stood  El  Erizo,  quietly  rolling  a  cigaritto, 
seeming  to  take  quiet  enjoyment  in  another  man's  temper. 
The  Doctor,  not  the  least  dismayed,  drove  up,  shouting, 
"  Ship  ahoy,"  at  which  the  old  man  lowered  his  revolver 
and  wheeled  around  facing  the  buggy  as  it  drove  up  and 
stopped  before  him. 

"  Helloa,  boy,  what's  the  matter?  Letting  off  steam? 
Some  gachupino  been  branding  your  calves,  or  do  you 
think  you're  aboard  your  craft  once  more,  with  the  black 
flag  flying?  Stop  that  piratical  hornpipe  and  pipe  all 
hands  to  grog;  I  have  something  that  will  calm  your  tem 
per."  And  the  Doctor  opened  his  saddle  bags  and  took 
out  two  or  three  tiles  of  "  nigger  head  "  tobacco  and  handed 
them  to  the  irate  gentleman,  who  sheathed  his  firearm  and 
seized  the  offering  with  avidity. 

"  And  what  the  devil  are  you  doing  here,  you  meddlesome 
old  body-snatcher?  If  I  hadn't  emptied  my  gun  firing 
long  range  at  a  bigger  target,  I'd  have  given  you  a  chance 
to  operate  on  your  own  carcass  in  cutting  out  an  ounce  of 
lead." 

"  Humph,  boy,  I  know  you ;  you're  a  still  hunter,  and 
when  there's  all  that  bark  there's  no  bite.  This  is  my 
friend,  Mr.  Thomas,  candidate  for  district  attorney;  sure 
to  be  elected;  better  work  for  him,  and  he'll  let  you  off 
easy  the  next  time  you're  indicted.  Mr.  Thomas,  Capt. 
Hickson.  Say,  Bill,"  turning  to  the  black-bearded  man, 
"  you  must  help  our  friend,  he's  a  good  fellow  and  one  of 
the  boys." 

"  That's  all  right,  Doc,"  said  the  old  man,  "  I  like  his 
looks,  but  he'll  never  get  a  chance  at  this  old  salt.  Since 
I  sailed  as  captain's  boy  out  of  old  England,  some  sixty 
years  ago,  the  courts  or  lawyers  have  never  had  any  fun 
out  of  me.  I  know  how  to  hold  my  own  and  get  even 
on  my  enemies  without  putting  my  head  in  the  law's  noose;  " 
and  he  led  the  way  to  a  room,  post  office,  part  store-room 
and  part  bar-room,  where  he  served  out  native  wine  and 


RANCH  LIFE  AND  DIVERSIONS  240 

aguardiente  at  a  "  bit  "  a  drink.  Herman  invited  the  old 
men,  the  boys,  El  Erizo,  the  hostlers  and  the  Doctor  to  wet 
their  whistles,  in  true  candidate  style. 

"What's  the  matter  with  the  old  man,  Bill?"  said  the 
Doctor. 

"  Oh,  he's  mad  because  I  wanted  to  put  a  hole  through  a 
gringo  butcher  who's  been  around  the  country  buying  up 
cattle  for  less  than  they're  worth.  He  says  he's  skipper 
of  this  ranch  and  any  shooting  that's  to  be  done,  he's  going 
to  do  it." 

The  old  man  and  the  boys  turned  out  active  and  loyal 
workers  for  Herman  and  when  the  former  died  not  long 
afterwards  he  settled  the  estate.  He  left  his  temper  to  his 
sons,  and  his  estate  equally  to  his  widow,  a  native  of  good 
family,  and  his  five  sons  and  six  daughters;  it  was 
divided  up  into  equal  shares  and  lots  drawn  and  each 
took  the  portion  allotted  without  a  murmur,  and  as  long 
as  the  mother  lived  there  was  not  a  discord  in  the  partri- 
archal  band.  The  daughters  were  women  of  character  and 
married  well.  Herman  always  had  the  idea  that  the  boys 
were  afraid  to  quarrel  about  the  ranch,  believing  that  the 
skipper  would  appear  in  fire  and  brimstone  and  assert  his 
prerogative  backed  by  the  hosts  of  Satan. 

El  Erizo  asked  the  Doctor  when  he  would  be  at  the 
Domingo  Ortega  Rancho,  and  if  the  ayramensor,  Finland, 
would  be  there,  saying  that  he  would  come  over  at  the 
same  time.  He  wanted  to  talk  to  all  three  about  his 
rancho,  and  see  if  there  was  a  way  to  beat  the  diablo  Pinto 
Brookies. 

While  our  friends  were  at  the  Hickson  Station  the  wind 
was  blowing  from  the  south-east  and  the  clouds  were  piling 
up  in  the  west,  and  the  Doctor  remarked,  as  they  started 
on  their  way  that  it  looked  as  though  they  would  have 
that  night  the  first  rain  of  the  season. 

According  to  programme,  they  were  to  spend  the  night 
at  Los  Sucos  Rancho,  of  which  Herman's  good  friend, 
Bucknill,  was  superintendent  and  owner  on  shares  of  an 
interest  in  its  live  stock.  They  were  expected  by  the  host, 
as  was  also  the  Sheriff  who  was  to  arrive  from  another 
direction.  When  they  reached  the  ranch  house,  at  sun- 


250  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

down,  the  sky  was  hung  with  clouds  which  were  massed  in 
heavy  drifts  in  the  west,  and  the  rain  had  commenced  in 
a  sprinkle  that  turned  to  a  downpour  during  the  night. 

"  Welcome,  Doctor ;  glad  to  see  you,  Thomas.  Just  in 
time  to  escape  a  drenching.  It  seems  that  the  rains  are 
commencing  early  this  season.  Helloa,  John;  take  these 
gentleman's  trap ;  "  and  a  short,  stoutly  built  Englishman, 
with  a  round  red  face,  John  Hobson,  or  as  he  called  him 
self,  Obson,  appeared  and  drove  the  horses  to  the  stable, 
where  the  Sheriff  had  just  arrived  on  horseback  and  was 
attending  to  his  steed. 

There  was  staying  at  the  ranch  house  with  Mr.  Bucknill, 
a  relative  of  the  owner,  Mr.  Charles  Boalt,  an  extremely 
polite,  nervous,  little  man,  thin  visaged  and  with  bilious 
complexion,  who  spoke  in  jerks  in  a  low  tone.  He  made 
two  or  three  low  obeisances  to  Herman  on  being  introduced 
and  backing  at  the  same  time  fell  sprawling  over  a  bag  of 
flour.  On  recovering  himself,  he  exclaimed  pettishly, 
"  D — n  that  fellow,  John,  he's  always  leaving  things  where 
they  oughtn't  to  be;  he  left  the  currycomb  in  my  bed  last 
night.J> 

The  other  members  of  the  household  consisted  of  Mr. 
Obson  and  the  cook,  Sam,  a  piece  of  wrinkled  parchment 
in  the  shape  of  a  Chinaman,  who  insisted  on  being  intro 
duced  to  all  guests  he  bestowed  his  culinary  skill  upon.  As 
the  Sheriff  came  in  from  the  stables,  Sam  appeared  in  the 
kitchen  doorway  with  a  butcher  knife  in  one  hand  and  a 
string  of  thili  Colorado  in  the  other. 

"  Sam,  you  know  these  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Bucknill ; 
"  this  is  our  Sheriff,  Mr.  Miller." 

"Me  sabby  Shelif;  he  come  lanch  befo,  lookee  for  boss 
thief;  he  play  pokel  velly  well;  he  beat  Miss  Bucknill;  but 
John  he  catchee  money  evelybody  allee  time." 

"  You're  right  there,  Sam,  John  has  more  luck  than  a  red 
headed  Mexican,"  said  Mr.  Miller.  "  Do  you  know  this 
gentleman  with  the  corkscrew  beard,  Sam  ?  " 

"  Me  sabby  Doc  Vandelpool.  My  cousin  had  hahl  lip ; 
he  no  could  talkee  muchee.  Doc  Vandelpool  makee  new  lip 
fol  him;  he  now  talkee  allee  time,  no  good." 

"  Well,  Sam/'  said  Mr.  Bucknill,  "  you  don't  know  this 


RANCH  LIFE  AND  DIVERSIONS  251 

gentleman,  Mr.  Thomas;  he  is  running  for  district  at 
torney." 

"Alice  same  job  Missouli  Bill  got.  Miss  Thomas  velly 
young.  He  no  big  voice;  no  could  scale  bad  man  velly 
much." 

"  Well,  Sam,  when  he  has  to  make  a  man  tremble  with 
a  big  voice,  he'll  get  Mr.  Roncador  to  help  him." 

Sam  retired  to  his  department  and  pretty  soon  appeared 
and  loaded  the  table  with  a  well  cooked  supper,  principally 
a  I'espanol;  one  dish  being  some  baked  vegetable  marrow 
which  the  guests  thought  superior  to  anything  in  the  veg 
etable  kingdom  they  had  ever  eaten.  Dinner  over,  after 
a  look  had  been  taken  at  the  stables  and  Mr.  Obson  had 
finished  his  duties,  and  the  members  of  the  household  were 
smoking  their  pipes  to  the  staccato  of  Sam's  whirlwind 
dishwashing,  the  rain  commenced  to  fall  in  torrents.  Mr. 
Boalt  seemed  peculiarly  nervous,  got  up,  ran  to  the  door, 
opened  it,  looked  out,  and  returned  to  his  chair,  only  to  get 
up  and  repeat  the  performance. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Charlie,  what's  the  matter  ?  "  said 
Mr.  Bucknill. 

"  Hem!  hem!  D — n  John,  he  left  my  pajamas  hanging 
on  the  line  in  the  corral  and  I'm  afraid  they'll  get  wet." 

"  I  thinks  Mr.  Boalt,  there's  no  doubt  about  that,"  said 
John. 

"  All  you  have  to  do,  Charlie,"  said  Mr.  Bucknill,  "  is 
to  strip  and  run  out  and  put  them  on  and  come  back  and 
dry  by  the  kitchen  stove." 

Mr.  Boalt,  believing  the  suggestion  made  in  good  faith, 
got  up  and  commenced  to  disrobe,  when  Mr.  Bucknill  said, 
"Stop,  Charlie;  sit  down,  I'll  lend  you  a  pair;  all  you'll 
have  to  do  is  to  take  a  reef  in  the  arms  and  legs." 

"  What  a  glorious  evening  for  a  game  of  poker,"  ex 
claimed  the  Sheriff;  which  exclamation  must  have  reached 
the  kitchen,  for  there  was  a  tremendous  clatter  of  dishes, 
and  then  silence,  and  not  long  afterwards  Sam  appeared 
in  a  clean  blouse  and  a  pipe  in  his  mouth. 

"Humph,  Miller,"  said  the  Doctor,  "you  are  correct;  I 
don't  know  any  two  things  that  go  as  well  together  in 
Southern  California  as  a  game  of  poker  and  a  rain  storm. 


252  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

A  little  ten-cent-ante  would  be  a  good,  Christian  way  of 
spending  the  evening." 

"  Well,  gentlemen/'  said  Mr.  Bucknill,  "  I  am  in  for  a 
little  game.  If  we  don't  bar  out  John, — whose  luck  would 
get  away  with  a  professional, — we  have  five,  as  Charlie 
don't  play.  Just  the  right  party." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should  bar  me  out.  I  as  to  make 
something  someow  more  than  the  wages  I  gets  ere,  if  I 
wants  hever  to  get  hout  of  the  country." 

"  Before  we  begin,  John,  go  get  a  couple  of  bottles  of 
that  Taj  iguas  red  wine ;  it  will  help  along  the  game,  and  we 
can  drink  a  toast  to  the  glorious  rain." 

John  soon  returned  with  the  bottles,  Sam,  in  the  mean 
while  having  produced  a  half-dozen  of  glasses  of  all  sizes 
and  shapes,  which  Mr.  Bucknill  filled  from  one  of  the 
bottles.  The  Doctor  lifted  his,  and  with  a  "  here's  how," 
disposed  of  about  half  of  its  contents  and  set  it  down  with 
a  clang  that  nearly  shivered  it,  his  mouth  drawn,  and  an 
expression  of  disgust  on  his  face. 

"By  the  Lord  Harry,  camphor  mixture,"  he  exclaimed; 
"  You've  got  the  belly-ache  bottle,  Bucknill,  instead  of  the 
wine." 

"  It  would  seem  so/'  said  Bucknill,  with  a  wry  mouth, 
after  tasting  it.  "  John,  did  you  get  this  out  of  the  closet 
in  the  storeroom  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  John,  "  I  took  the  first  two  I  comes  across. 
It  looks  as  if  that  one  ad  been  hopened  before." 

"  You're  right;  it  has,"  said  Bucknill;  "  Charlie,  have  you 
been  doing  anything  with  the  wine  ?  " 

"  Hem !  hem !  You  see,"  said  Charlie,  "  that  d — d  John 
is  always  leaving  the  closet  door  open,  and  the  sun  got  on 
the  wine,  and  I  uncorked  a  bottle  and  tasted  it,  and  it  was 
getting  sour,  so  I  put  some  camphor  in  to  preserve  it." 

"  You  blooming  idiot  you ;  and  how  many  bottles  did 
you  preserve  ?  " 

"  I  only  had  camphor  enough  for  one,  and  intended  to 
wait  till  I  got  some  more  from  St.  Agnes  to  treat  the 
others." 

"  If  you  ever  touch  another  I'll  break  it  over  your  head," 
said  Bucknill. 

The  Doctor  washed  the  medicine  taste  from  his  mouth 


RANCH  LIFE  AND  DIVERSIONS  253 

with  a  bumper  from  the  other  bottle,  and  the  game  com 
menced.  The  cards  showed  signs  of  considerable  use  and 
different  colored  beans  took  the  place  of  chips.  Sam  had 
planted  his  chair  where  he  could  see  the  most  hands  and  sat 
as  silent  and  immovable  as  a  graven  image,  except  when 
John  landed  a  big  pot  or  the  Sheriff  won  on  a  stupendous 
bluff,  when  he  would  emit  a  grunt,  whether  of  admiration 
or  disgust,  no  one  could  tell.  There  was  not  much  at 
stake,  and  the  tide  of  winnings  ebbed  and  flowed.  John 
was  the  only  one  who  seemed  to  keep  always  ahead,  and 
the  Doctor  and  Herman  soon  discovered  that  it  was  not 
altogether  luck  upon  his  part.  No  one  could  guess  his  hand 
or  interpret  his  play,  any  more  than  they  could  detect  any 
change  of  expression  in  his  stolid  countenace;  and  they 
had  caught  him  in  some  thoroughbred  bluffs  worthy  of  a 
reckless  sport.  So  the  game  was  enjoyable  in  every  way. 
It  was  agreed  that  it  should  end  at  eleven  o'clock  prompt. 
This  hour  was  about  arriving  and  the  last  hand  was  dealt. 
It  proved  to  be  a  betting  one.  After  one  round  Herman  and 
the  Doctor  laid  down  their  hands,  while  the  Sheriff  and 
Bucknill  kept  raising  each  other;  John  always  seeing 
the  raise,  and  finally  himself  raising  them  the  limit.  The 
Sheriff  and  Bucknill  hesitated  and  looked  at  John,  but  no  en 
lightenment  was  obtained  from  his  sphinx-like  face.  There 
was  a  considerable  pile  up  and  they  both  believed  he  was 
bluffing;  he  had  drawn  four  cards;  but  they  were  afraid 
to  risk  any  further  bucking  against  Mr.  Obson's  proverbial 
luck,  and  called  him,  at  the  same  time  laying  down  their 
hands.  Bucknill  had  a  queen  full  on  jacks  and  the  Sheriff 
four  kings,  at  which  display  John  was  gazing  absent- 
mindedly. 

"Well,  John,  show-down;  what  have  you?"  exclaimed 
the  Sheriff. 

"Four  haces,  sir,"  said  John;  and  he  quietly  laid  them 
down  and  stoically  swept  in  the  pile. 

"Ugh,"  ejaculated  Sam;  "John,  he  biggest  Clistian  in 
the  countly;  byem  by  he  stalt  mission  school  teach  Clistian 
game  to  heathen  Chinee." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE 

BY  morning  the  wind  had  gone  down  and  the  rain  was 
over;  and  the  sun  appeared  bright  and  clear  above  the 
horizon,  mirroring  itself  in  the  pond  in  front  of  the  house, 
and  burnishing  the  backs  of  the  carp  as  they  darted  to  the 
surface,  and  turning  to  polished  silver  the  pools  and  puddles 
and  to  diamonds  the  rain  drops  on  trees  and  plants.  And 
the  bachelor  lodgers  turned  out  of  bed  and  splashed  them 
selves  with  water  and  dressed  and  sang  and  whistled,  with 
a  chorus  of  complaining  turkeys,  cackling  chickens,  quack 
ing  ducks  and  barking  dogs,  while  the  atmosphere  was  per 
fumed  with  the  sweet,  fresh  scent  of  the  earth  bathed  by  the 
first  rain. 

Mr.  Boalt  was  the  first  to  get  rid  of  his  long-drawn-out 
pajamas  and  into  his  clothes;  and  as  he  started  to  the  door 
was  hailed  by  Mr.  Bucknill  who  asked  him  to  look  at  the 
rain  gauge  and  report  how  much  water  had  fallen.  Mr. 
Boalt  returned  in  a  few  minutes,  and  shuffled  around  the 
room. 

"  Well,  Charlie,"  called  out  the  Sheriff,  "  how  much  was 
it?  I  will  bet  on  an  inch  and  a  half." 

"  Hem !  Hem !  D — n  that  fellow  John ;  he  emptied 
the  wash  basin  into  the  gauge  and  it  reads  ten  inches,"  re 
plied  Mr.  Boalt. 

The  Sheriff,  Dr.  Vanderpool,  Mr.  Bucknill  and  Herman, 
held  a  caucus  while  awaiting  breakfast  and  planned  for  the 
political  work  to  be  done  on  election  day.  Mr.  Bucknill 
was  very  popular,  especially  among  the  native  Californians, 
and  he  expected  to  be  of  material  assistance  in  the  cam 
paign.  He  volunteered  to  accompany  them,  he  and  the 
Sheriff  on  horseback,  to  Pat  O'NeiFs,  a  country  grocery 
on  their  road.  Immediately  after  breakfast,  having  bade 
adieu  to  Mr.  Boalt,  Obson  and  Sam,  they  were  off  on  their 

254, 


PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE  255 

third  day's  travel.  Owing  to  the  downpour  of  the  night 
before,  the  roads,  bad  at  any  time,  were  doubly  bad  and 
the  horses  made  slow  progress. 

They  stopped  at  a  couple  of  ranch  houses,  where  they 
were  received  hospitably,  and  about  noon,  after  traversing 
a  broad  plain,  they  arrived  at  the  weather-boarded  struc 
ture  that  constituted  the  domicile  and  grocery  of  Don 
Patricio  O'Neil,  as  he  was  called  by  the  natives  and  Pat 
O'Neil  by  the  Americans  and  O'Nale  by  his  own  country 
men.  Mr.  O'Neil  appeared  on  the  porch,  driving  off  an 
old  sow  with  her  pigs,  and  invited  the  gentlemen  to  enter, 
ordering  his  boy  to  look  after  the  horses.  From  the 
sounds  of  festivity  borne  to  the  ears  of  the  arrivals,  they 
were  informed  that  Pat's  grocery  was  already  occu 
pied  by  a  merry  party.  The  first  to  attract  Herman's 
attention  as  he  went  in  was  the  familiar  figure  of  John 
Stuart,  seated  on  a  pile  of  barley  sacks,  in  a  cloud  of 
smoke,  feeling  his  biceps ;  and  balancing  himself,  with  some 
little  difficulty,  on  a  whisky  keg  nearby,  sat  a  man  who 
might  have  been  thirty  or  fifty,  it  was  impossible  to  tell 
from  his  countenance.  He  was  about  five  feet  eight  inches 
in  height,  his  frame  apparently  without  flesh,  and  warped, 
bow-like,  a  little  sideways ;  with  a  long,  smooth-shaven  face, 
and  mouth  twisted  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the  bend 
in  his  body,  a  huge  nose  and  ears  like  polished  clam-shells. 
He  was  Capt.  Hartshorn  from  Maine,  the  owner  of  a  little 
fleet  of  schooners  engaged  in  the  Mexican  trade,  who  oc 
casionally  visited  St.  Agnes  for  his  health,  he  said,  but 
others  intimated  for  change  of  grog.  Herman  had  met 
him  in  St.  Agnes  and  liked  him.  His  whole  time  was  not 
devoted  to  grog,  and  he  was  good-hearted,  quiet  and  gentle 
manly,  and  was  a  shrewd  trader.  Leaning  with  his  back 
against  the  redwood  counter,  a  short  clay  pipe  with  inverted 
bowl  in  his  mouth,  his  time-stained  slouch  hat  crushed 
rakishly  to  one  side,  stood  a  jolly- faced,  typical  Irishman, 
by  name  John  Mulcahy,  a  good  farmer  and  faithful,  hard 
working  tiller  of  the  fields  of  a  neighboring  rancho.  He 
could  not  read  or  write,  but  made  up  for  the  want  of  these 
accomplishments  in  quick-wittedness,  a  wonderful  memory 
and  a  droll  Irish  tongue  that  was  too  much  for  those  that 
invited  its  exercise  by  chaff  or  banter.  Pat  himself  was 


256          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

not  unlike  Mr.  Hogan  in  looks  and,  like  him,  possessed  more 
shrewdness  than  learning.  Pat's  guests  had  evidently  been 
partaking  reasonably  freely  of  the  whiskey  he  furnished 
at  a  living  price  to  his  patrons  and  the  travelers  that  chanced 
to  pass  that  way.  It  was  celebrated  in  the  county,  not  even 
excepting  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Agnes,  for  its  youthful 
strength  and  the  rapidity  with  which  it  produced  the  de 
sired  exhilaration,  and  sheep-herders  and  vaqueros  traveled 
for  miles  to  indulge  in  its  soul  stirring  magic.  In  the 
corner  of  the  room,  beside  a  bundle  of  pick  handles,  were 
stacked  a  couple  of  shot-guns  and  rifles,  and  on  some 
bags  of  beans  were  thrown  game  bags,  fishing  tackle  and 
other  sporting  accouterments. 

"  Helloa,  boys,  glad  to  meet  you;  anything  new?"  said 
the  Doctor,  as  the  newcomers  entered. 

"  Hurrah,  lads,"  cried  Bucknill,  "  if  here  isn't  the  cook 
and  the  Captain  bold,  and  the  mate  of  the  Nancy  Lee." 

"  Shiver  my  timbers,"  exclaimed  Capt.  Hartshorn,  who, 
when  elevated  through  the  influence  of  the  cup,  delighted 
in  the  use  of  romantic  sailor  parlance;  "a  delegation  of 
the  nobility,  pilgrims  to  the  Hibernian  fountain  of  joy. 
Throw  them  a  line,  Pat;  man  the  capstan,  John,  while  I 
welcome  them  on  the  quarter-deck;  "  with  which  he  wriggled 
himself  to  his  feet  from  the  barrel,  made  a  straight  run 
to  John  Mulcahy,  took  a  tack  and  landed  in  the  arms  of 
the  Sheriff,  who  replaced  him  gently  on  the  keg. 

"  Begorrah,"  said  Mr.  Mulcahy,  rubbing  his  ribs,  "  the 
Captain's  weather  beam  is  as  sharp  as  his  bowsprit.  You 
must  excuse  him,  gentlemen;  he  has  his  say-legs  on,  as  he 
calls  thim,  and  Misther  O'Nale's  assembly  room  is  too 
short  for  thim.  What  a  foine  stepper  he'd  be  in  an  earth 
quake." 

"  A  most  unexpected  and  happy  meeting,  my  friends," 
said  Mr.  John  Stuart,  arising  from  the  barley  sacks  and 
waving  a  welcome  with  his  meerschaum.  "You  are  just 
in  time.  Pat,  stretch  your  gridiron  and  put  on  some  more 
doves  to  satisfy  the  pangs  of  these  wayfarers,  and  pass 
around  the  chainlightning." 

"  And  Pat,  dear,"  whispered  Mr.  Mulcahy,  "  wather  the 
stock  for  the  Captain." 

"  Capt.  Hartshorn  and  I,"  continued  John  Stuart,  "  are 


PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE  257 

after  big  game,  but  when  the  doves  and  the  quail  are  im 
pudent  enough  to  run  between  our  legs,  we  descend  to  keep 
ing  our  larder  replenished  with  them." 

The  last  round  of  Mr.  O' Neil's  peculiar  brand  of  spirits, 
whether  from  the  fact  of  its  having  been  in  his  case  diluted, 
or  whether  it  was  one  of  the  usual  stages  of  his  journey 
to  the  fountain  of  joy,  Captain  Hartshorn  became  senti 
mental.  Addressing  those  present,  he  said  in  tearful  ac 
cents  : 

"  When  you  are  in  a  primitive  habitation  like  this,  out  in 
the  wilderness,  dependent  on  your  gun  for  your  subsistence, 
and  no  voices  except  those  of  nature  to  speak  to  you,  don't 
your  thoughts  go  back  to  scenes  of  happy  companionship, 
where  bright  eyes  looked  into  yours  and  sweet  voices  spoke 
and  sang  to  you;  and  does  not  some  fair  being  who  spoke 
and  sang  more  sweetly  than  others  appear  as  a  vision  be 
fore  you?  Ah,  such  a  vision  I  see  now,  and  I  think  of  the 
last  evening  we  spent  together  when  I  sang  for  her  the 
song  we  were  both  so  fond  of :  '  Her  Bright  Smile  Hants  Me 
Still.'  " 

"  Sing  it,  Captain,"  said  the  Sheriff.  "  We'll  first  have 
another  round  of  Pat's  lightning,  and  then  we  can  stand 
it." 

The  Captain  cleared  his  throat  as  well  as  he  could,  and 
launched  forth  in  a  downcast  tenor,  his  voice  broken  with 
emotion,  and  worked  his  way  bravely  to  the  line  de  resistence 
"  her  bright  smile  ha-a-a-nts  me  still,"  when  he  put  his 
hand  over  his  mouth  and  shot  in  a  beeline  across  the  floor 
out  the  door.  John  Stuart  planted  himself  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  drew  out  his  watch  and  counted  off  five 
minutes ;  then  in  a  stentorian  voice  called  out,  "  Time,  Cap 
tain,  time." 

The  Captain  appeared,  looking  pale,  steered  himself  to 
his  seat  on  the  keg,  looked  around  at  the  audience,  and  in 
weakened  tones,  repeated,  "  Her  bright  smile  ha-a-ants 
me  still,"  the  last  word  being  lost  in  a  hiccough.  Just  at  this 
moment  Pat,  who  had  disappeared  from  view,  returned 
and  announced  that  the  grub  was  ready.  The  Captain  sat 
helplessly  crouched  down  on  his  keg;  the  others  looked  at 
each  other,  hardly  knowing  what  to  do  with  him,  when 
Mr.  Mulcahy  grabbed  with  one  hand  a  gunny  sack  and 


258  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the  Captain's  arm  with  the  other,  and  before  he  was  con 
scious  of  what  was  taking  place,  rushed  him  out  to  the 
horse  trough,  pulled  open  his  shirt,  held  his  head  over  the 
trough,  poured  a  bucket  of  water  on  it  and  scrubbed  it  with 
the  gunny  sack  as  if  he  were  holy-stoning  the  deck  of  one 
of  his  schooners;  then  giving  him  two  or  three  shakes,  as 
a  terrier  would  a  rat,  he  shoved  him  back  into  the  room, 
and  with  a  final  shake,  exclaimed,  "  I've  settled  your  timbers 
and  toightened  your  hold ;  now  ye  divil  go  and  take  in  some 
ballast."  And  the  Captain,  apparently  as  sober  as  a  judge, 
meekly  followed  the  rest  into  where  the  feast  was  spread. 

Pat's  cooking  did  not  in  any  way  resemble  that  of  Mr. 
Latour's,  but  the  doves  were  certainly  not  spoiled  by  it. 

"  How  much  superior  the  doves  in  this  country,  as  edible 
game,  are  to  the  quail,"  said  Mr.  Bucknill ;  "  they  are  fat 
and  juicy,  while  the  quail  are  dry  and  do  not  seem  to  have 
the  game  flavor  they  have  in  colder  climates." 

"  The  finest  game  in  this  part  of  the  world,  the  finest 
shooting  and  the  finest  eating,  are  the  ducks,"  said  John 
Stuart,  "  and  they  are  of  all  kinds.  It  requires  more  skill 
to  bring  them  down  than  with  any  other  birds,  unless 
it  may  be  the  jack-snipe,  and  there  are  so  few  snipe  about 
these  regions  that  they  do  not  give  a  hunter  any  satisfac 
tion." 

"  I  think  you're  right/'  said  Mr.  Bucknill,  "  and  if  you 
will  come  up  after  the  winter  rains  have  set  in,  we'll  go  over 
to  the  laguna,  and  give  you  a  better  time  than  you  get  in 
your  smokestack  near  St.  Agnes." 

"  A  leg  of  lamb  is  a  rare  bird,  gintlemen,  whin  it's  bin 
hung  for  a  few  days,"  said  Mr.  Mulcahy,  "  and  although 
you  don't  have  as  much  fun  hunting  for  it,  it  bates  all  your 
venison  and  ducks  and  doves." 

"  We  can  understand  that  from  Mulcahy,"  said  Capt. 
Hartshorn,  who  had  recovered  his  spirits,  "  for  mutton 
to  a  sheep  man  is  like  jerked  beef  to  a  cowpuncher,  it's  his 
steady  bill  of  fare,  and  it  would  be  treason  if  he  went  back 
on  it.  A  sailor  like  me  who  sails  his  own  craft  in  many 
seas  and  in  all  kinds  of  weather  and  whose  appetite  is 
whetted  by  hard  work  and  long  watches,  and  the  keen  sea 
breezes,  enjoys  and  generally  finds  all  the  good  things  of 
the  table,  whether  they  were  once  tame  or  wild." 


PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE  259 

"  I'm  not  a  shape  man,  Misther  Hartshorn,  any  more 
than  you're  a  sailor.  I'm  a  farmer  and  have  been  a  farmer 
iver  since  I  was  a  plow-boy,  in  County  Kerry;  there  isn't 
a  bether  singlehand  plower  in  the  counthry  and  there  isn't 
a  drop  of  lazy  blood  in  my  veins.  It's  you,  Misther  Harts 
horn,  wud  make  a  foine  shape  herder.  You  cud  sit  on  a 
stump  all  day  widout  complainin,  wid  a  bottle  of  Pat's 
whisky,  singin,  '  her  broight  smoile  shtays  wid  me  still.' 
You  talk  about  being  a  sailor;  you're  nothing  but  a  canawl- 
boat  sailor,  you  have  to  go  ashore  to  change  your  shirt." 

"Well,  boys,  it's  time  to  be  off,"  said  the  Doctor;  "the 
roads  are  bad  and  we  travelers  have  a  long  ways  to  go. 
Keep  your  eye,  Pat,  on  the  sailor  and  the  land-lubber,  and 
don't  let  them  get  afoul  of  each  other." 

"  You  need  not  be  afraid  of  that,  Doctor,"  said  Capt. 
Hartshorn,  "  John  and  I  are  only  exchanging  the  compli 
ments  of  the  season  in  Cow  County  style." 

"  So  you  were  born  in  the  old  country,"  Herman  said  to 
Mulcahy,  as  they  were  starting  off;  "  and  do  you  think  you 
will  ever  return  to  it  ?  " 

"  If  I  had  shtayed  in  New  York  and  become  an  alder 
man,  I  wud  be  for  goin  back  to  visit  the  auld  counthry; 
but  if  I  iver  went  from  here,  it  wud  have  to  be  wid  an  Irish 
tandem,  one  fut  afther  the  other." 

The  Doctor  and  Herman  left  Mr.  Bucknill  and  the 
Sheriff  behind,  and  continued  their  way  to  the  Doctor's  re 
cently  acquired  rancho;  which  they  did  not  reach  till  after 
sundown.  They  found  Finland  and  his  affidavit  man 
already  there,  as  they  had  promised. 

The  quarters  differed  materially  from  the  ones  they  had 
occupied  the  night  before.  Old  Domingo  had  put  up  a 
shanty  of  a  couple  of  rooms  after  he  had  obtained  his  deed 
from  the  Castanos;  but  it  was  rarely  occupied,  by  himself 
or  others,  the  little  ranch  being  generally  under  lease  to 
the  owners  or  tenants  of  El  Roblar  Vie  jo.  A  bedstead 
had  never  made  its  way  into  the  house,  and  those  that 
found  shelter  in  it  had  to  be  contented  to  repose  between 
their  blankets  upon  beds  of  wild  oats  or  barley  straw. 
The  Doctor  had  taken  the  precaution  to  send  ahead  from 
St.  Agnes  a  native  who  understood  ranch  cooking,  taking 
with  him  what  of  plain,  substantial  edibles  would  be  required 


260  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

for  a  brief  visit.  He  had  prepared  a  supper  of  frijoles, 
quail  and  bread  baked  in  a  Dutch  oven,  that  was  anything 
but  unpalatable.  There  was  little  conversation  that  even 
ing,  and  all  betook  themselves  early  to  their  comfortable,  if 
not  velvety  couches.  Herman,  however,  feeling  the  spell  of 
the  spirit  of  loneliness  and  longing  for  something  from  out 
The  Unknown, — which  came  to  him  so  often  after  a  day's 
fun  and  frolic,  his  melancholy  familiar,  ever  preaching 
from  the  wise  man's  text  that  all  is  vanity, —  lingered  a  while 
after  the  others  had  gone,  and  walked  out  into  the  open, 
and  watched  the  moon  swing  out  like  a  brilliant  lantern 
from  behind  the  rocky  ridge  and  illumine  the  sleeping 
canon  and  its  cathedral  forest  trees  roofed  with  the  star- 
studded  heavens.  The  sadness-scented  thoughts  and  fancies 
that  came  to  keep  him  company  when,  in  this  mood,  he 
turned  his  back  upon  the  world  and  its  realities,  had  to 
him  charm  more  potent  and  more  fascinating  than  the  work 
and  play  of  real  life,  and  were  on  a  plane  with  the  bene 
factions  that  come,  the  gifts  of  a  higher  power,  unexpected 
and  unstriven  for,  so  much  sweeter  than  the  fruits  of  plans 
and  labors. 

Much  was  to  be  done  the  following  day,  so  all  were  up 
at  dawn.  While  at  breakfast,  which  consisted  of  a  cup 
of  coffee,  a  piece  of  bread,  and  a  few  figs  from  a  tree 
that,  by  some  miracle,  one  would  think,  stood  among  the 
oaks,  Antonio  Castanos  rode  up,  and  joined  them.  El 
Roblar  Viejo  ranch-house  was  not  far  away.  The  Doctor 
desired  Finland  to  run  the  exterior  boundaries  of  the 
Domingo  Ortega  rancho,  and  also  to  survey  some  mining 
claims,  petroleum  and  cinnibar,  back  of  the  rancho.  They 
were  to  hunt  up  the  monuments  that  day  and  locate  the 
mining  claims,  after  which  Finland  was  to  complete  the 
survey,  remaining  after  the  Doctor  had  gone.  The  buggy 
horses  were  to  rest  for  a  day,  and  the  Doctor  and  Herman 
were  to  start  on  their  way  to  the  Cordero  Pass  the  following 
noon.  Saddle-horses  had  been  provided  for  the  two.  An 
tonio  Castanos,  who  was  familiar  with  the  monuments,  was 
glad  to  point  them  out ;  and  he  also  volunteered, —  having 
been  led  on  to  it  tactfully  by  Herman, —  after  doing  this,  to 
show  him  over  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho.  They  first  fol 
lowed  the  canon  to  the  mining  deposits  to  be  located  and 


PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE          261 

staked  out.  As  they  ascended,  the  canon  walls  grew  more 
rocky  and  abrupt,  and  great  bowlders  were  scattered  about, 
and  trees  and  vegetation  disappeared.  Finally,  they  came  to 
where  were  the  petroleum  outcroppings.  The  earth  was 
seamed  and  bedded  with  what  seemed  to  be  asphaltum,  and 
here  and  there  liquid  tar  oozed  from  crevices.  After  point 
ing  out  the  territory  to  be  taken  up,  they  followed  a  branch 
canon  up,  and  came  upon  what  had  the  appearance  of  being 
a  defined  ledge  of  the  red  cinibar  rock.  After  Finland  had 
received  his  instructions  in  reference  to  the  staking  out 
of  quartz  claims  upon  this  ledge,  they  went  up  a  steep 
trail,  to  an  eminence  on  the  ridge  commanding  a  view  of 
the  canon  and  valley,  from  which  Antonio  pointed  out 
the  principal  natural  monuments,  and  then,  retracing  their 
steps,  he  succeeded  in  locating  some  of  the  stakes  of  the 
U.  S.  surveyor  who  had  made  the  patent  survey.  They 
got  back  to  the  house  about  noon,  where  a  substantial  meal 
was  ready  for  them,  and  found  El  Erizo,  who  had  ridden 
over  on  a  mustang;  it  would  have  required  a  day  to  make 
the  trip  had  he  come  by  his  freight  train.  He  was  amiable 
enough  then,  if  his  bristles  did  stand  up.  After  lunch  he 
pulled  out  of  his  pocket  a  packet  and  produced  from  the 
folds  of  a  red  handkerchief  a  copy  of  the  decree  of  the 
United  States  District  Court  confirming  to  him  a  sobrante 
grant  of  land  called  El  Roblar  Viejo  Extension,  lying  be 
tween  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho  and  two  other  ranches  that 
had  been  finally  surveyed  by  the  U.  S.  Government.  There 
were  a  number  of  these  grants  made  by  the  Mexican  Gov 
ernment  of  Alta  California.  After  the  secularization  of 
the  California  missions,  their  property  was  divided  up 
principally  among  the  soldiers  for  the  declared  purpose  of 
colonization  and  were  held  by  them  in  a  sort  of  restricted 
ownership;  which,  however,  was  recognized  as  a  tenancy 
in  fee  by  the  United  States.  The  grants  were  made  in 
reference  to  natural  boundaries,  and,  in  instances,  in  cer 
tain  localities  the  ranches  as  described  did  not  fit  into 
each  other,  and  an  irregular  shaped  tract  would  be  left 
between  them.  This  tract  would  then  be  granted  under 
the  name  of  Sobrante,  or  overplus,  being  described  as  ly 
ing  between  certain  ranches  already  granted.  El  Erizc's 
memory  went  back  to  the  time  when  juridical  possession 


262  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

of  El  Roblar  Viejo  and  the  adjoining  ranches  was  given, 
and  knew  the  monuments;  and  he  and  his  father  before 
him  had  for  years  run  their  cattle  over  the  Sobrante  tract, 
as  bounded  by  the  lines  indicated  by  these  monuments. 

"  Sefior  Thomas,"  he  said,  "here  is  my  titulo;  you  read 
it,  and  tell  me  what  it  says." 

Herman  said  that  it  confirmed  to  Juan  Pedro  Olivera  a 
sobrante  of  two  leagues  of  land  lying  between  El  Roblar 
Viejo  Rancho  and  two  others. 

"  Si,  Senor,  that  is  it,  and  all  the  old  paisanos  know 
where  the  lines  of  those  ranches  are;  they  all  know  where 
the  Piedra  Pintada  is, —  the  upper  end  of  El  Roblar  Viejo/' 
and  here  his  eyes  glowed  like  coals  of  fire;  "this  devil 
Brookies  comes  and  makes  the  surveyor  put  it  somewhere 
else,  so  as  to  cut  off  from  me  an  eighth  of  a  league  of  the 
best  part  of  my  land  on  which  there  are  some  fine  springs. 
Mr.  Finland  understands  it  all,  and  he  will  explain  to 
you." 

"  From  the  evidence  of  one  of  the  old  men  who  gave 
juridical  possession  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  and  of  the  most 
reliable  natives,"  said  Finland,  "  this  monument  is  where 
Juan  Pedro  here  claims  it  to  be,  and  although  the  rock 
pointed  out  by  Brooks  and  Pedro  Castanos  to  the  U.  S. 
Deputy  Surveyor,  from  its  appearance  and  color,  might 
have  the  same  name,  the  painted  rock,  still  it  does  not  con 
form  as  well  with  the  other  monuments  and  what  would  be 
the  natural  location  of  the  rancho.  The  springs  Juan 
Pedro  speaks  of  are  not  marked  on  the  disefio,  or  plat,  ac 
companying  the  grant,  and  would  not  be  taken  to  belong 
to  El  Roblar  Viejo,  lying  as  they  do  outside  a  range  of 
hills  which  form  a  continuous  natural  boundary  line,  such 
as  the  Mexican  officials  would  have  been  apt  to  adopt." 

"  And  you,  what  do  you  say,  Antonio,"  asked  El  Erizo, 
turning  to  Castanos ;  "  where  is  the  Piedra  Pintada  ?  " 

"  The  only  Piedra  Pintada  that  I  knew,  ever  since  I  have 
known  El  Roblar  Viejo,  is  the  one  you  claim  is  right,  Juan 
Pedro;  and  if  I  had  been  present  when  the  surveyor  was 
running  the  line  I  would  have  told  him  so.  My  brother, 
Pedro,  is  a  very  bright  man,  and  I  always  thought  that  he 
was  the  only  one  of  us  old  Californians  who  was  smart 
enough  to  deal  with  the  American  newcomers,  and  I  would 


PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE  263 

not  have  minded  it  much,  if  he  had  been  taking  a  little 
more  land  from  a  gringo  sharper  than  the  lines  called 
for;  but  he  had  no  right  to  treat  a  brother  paisano  in  that 
way,  and  he  would  never  have  thought  of  doing  so  if 
Brooks  had  not  put  him  up  to  it.  My  brother  Jose,  up  to 
his  death,  did  not  know  that  the  piece  with  the  springs  had 
been  surveyed  into  the  rancho.  I  never  found  it  out  until 
Brooks  had  stakes  driven  along  the  new  line." 

"  You  see,  Seilor  Thomas,"  said  El  Erizo,  "  there  is  only 
one  Piedra  Pintada  that  people  ever  heard  of,  and  that  is 
not  the  one  Brookies  pointed  out  to  the  surveyor.  Now, 
Brookies  knows  this,  and  he  robbed  me  of  an  eighth  of  a 
league  of  land  and  my  springs,  and  has  fenced  them  into 
El  Roblar  Viejo,  maldito  ladron,"  and  he  seized  with  his 
two  hands  an  imaginary  throat,  and  shook  it  with  all  his 
might,  his  hair  and  beard  quivering  like  tules  in  a  north 
wind. 

"  Huh,"  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  "  I  don't  see  that  it  makes 
much  difference  to  you;  the  gophers  and  jack-rabbits  or 
some  other  wild  animals  seem  to  root  up  the  posts  and  butt 
down  the  fences,  and  your  stock  somehow  find  their  way  to 
the  springs." 

El  Erizo  let  go  the  counter-presentiment  of  Brooks' 
throat,  and  looked  at  the  Doctor  with  what  approached  a 
grin,  and  said: 

"  Well,  he  has  not  had  much  benefit  of  the  land,  and  my 
cattle  get  to  the  springs  whenever  they  want.  But  he 
says  he's  going  after  me  in  the  courts,  and  I  wanted  Mr. 
Thomas  to  look  into  the  case  and  see  if  I  can't  beat  the 
thief." 

Herman  promised  to  do  this,  and  while  Antonio  and  the 
others  were  looking  for  surveyors'  monuments,  El  Erizo 
conducted  him  to  the  disputed  line  and  showed  him  the 
two  painted  rocks  and  the  springs  and  the  range  of  hills. 
Herman  begged  him  to  keep  his  temper  and  be  guilty  of 
no  act  of  violence,  and  assured  him  that,  if  he  would  only 
wait  patiently  till  the  proper  time  came  to  strike,  which 
would  not  be  many  months  distant,  he  would  recover  the 
land  for  him.  El  Erizo  said  that  he  would  do  the  best  he 
could  to  keep  cool. 

"  But  if  the  diablo  Brookies  crosses  my  path,  it  will  take 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

an  angel  to  keep  my  hands  off  him/'  said  he.  He  said  he 
would  see  him  again  before  he  started  the  next  day. 

The  following  morning  Antonio  and  Herman  rode  over 
the  remainder  of  El  Roblar  Viejo,  and  Herman  took  ad 
vantage  of  the  opportunity  to  question  his  companion  about 
the  facts  connected  with  his  transferring  his  interest  in  the 
property  to  the  Company,  the  present  owner.  Antonio,,  who 
had  at  last  realized  that  Brooks  intended  to  "  freeze  him 
out,"  and  had  taken  the  preliminary  steps  to  absorb  his 
stock,  and  feeling  that  his  tenure  as  major-domo  of  the 
rancho  was  liable  any  day  to  be  cut  short,  was  very  bitter  and 
talked  very  freely.  He  said  that  both  Brooks  and  Espinosa 
had  represented  to  him  that  the  stock  which  they  offered  for 
his  interest  would  be  of  enormous  value;  that  they  had  a 
colony  coming  out  from  the  East  that  would  buy  up  the 
land  in  small  tracts  and  that  he  would  realize  from  his 
stock  five  times  as  much  as  his  undivided  interest  in  the 
land  could  possibly  be  worth.  He  was  no  business  man 
and  his  brother  Pedro  urged  him  to  accept  the  proposition, 
he  having  sold  them  his  interest  on  the  same  terms,  and 
he  was  a  very  shrewd  man;  besides,  they  represented  that 
his  brother  Jose  had  finally  concluded  to  do  the  same  thing; 
so  he  did  as  they  wished  and  parted  with  his  interest  for 
stock.  He  could  see  now  that  he  and  his  brother  had  been 
entrapped  by  Brooks  and  Espinosa  and  that  he  had  virtu 
ally  given  his  property  for  nothing. 

"And  had  you  no  attorney  to  represent  you?"  asked 
Herman. 

"  No,  I  told  them  at  first  that  I  would  consult  Judge 
Freeman  before  acting,  but  they  begged  me  not  to  do  this; 
that  it  would  not  do  to  let  him  or  any  other  lawyer  see  into 
our  affairs ;  that  he  might  meddle  in  the  colonization  scheme 
for  his  own  ends,  and  block  or  defeat  it.  And  they  said  I 
did  not  need  a  lawyer  and  that  I  should  have  confidence  in 
Brooks  who  had  fought  the  rancho  through  with  such  great 
success.  So  I  did  not  see  him." 

As  Herman  was  bidding  him  good-by  at  El  Roblar  Viejo 
ranch  house,  a  tall  raw-boned  man,  with  a  hard  face,  long, 
black  moustache  and  eyes  like  a  Greek's,  rode  up.  He  had 
a  rifle  strapped  on  the  saddle  with  his  blanket,  and  a  huge 
revolver  in  his  belt.  He  asked  Antonio  in  cow-boy  Spanish, 


PAT  O'NEIL'S  WAYSIDE  REFUGE  265 

if  his  name  was  Antonio  Castanos.  On  his  replying  in  the 
affirmative,,  the  newcomer  took  a  letter  from  his  pocket  and 
gave  it  to  Antonio,  saying: 

"  Mr.  Brooks  is  in  St.  Agnes  and  wished  me  to  hand  you 
this." 

Antonio  opened  it  and  handed  it  to  Herman.  It  was 
written  in  Spanish  and  was  a  brief  command  to  show  the 
bearer  the  lines  of  the  rancho,  especially  the  part  disputed 
by  Olivera;  and  then  come  into  town  at  once,  leaving  him 
in  charge. 

"  Very  well/'  said  Antonio;  "  over  there  is  the  corral  and 
barn  where  you  will  find  feed  and  water.  When  you  have 
put  up  your  horse,  we  will  have  something  to  eat  and  this 
afternoon  I  will  show  you  the  lines." 

"  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Antonio,  after  the  stranger  had 
gone  to  the  corral,  "  there  is  going  to  be  trouble.  Brooks 
has  sent  this  man  to  get  away  with  El  Erizo,  if  he  has  to 
put  a  bullet  through  him.  Brooks  and  Espinosa  are  both 
afraid  of  him  and  Brooks  thinks  his  life  would  not  be  safe 
in  this  neighborhood.  El  Erizo  must  be  warned." 

"  That  is  easy,"  said  Herman ;  "  he  will  be  at  the  Do 
mingo  Ortega  ranch  waiting  for  me;  I  will  put  him  on  his 
guard  and  try  to  keep  him  from  falling  into  a  trap  or  get 
ting  into  the  clutches  of  the  law." 

With  that  Herman  rode  off,  taking  another  look  at  the 
Texan,  for  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that  such  he  was,  as 
he  passed  the  corral,  his  glance  being  met  with  a  side  dart 
from  his  treacherous  eyes. 

Herman  told  El  Erizo  about  the  new  arrival  at  El  Roblar 
Viejo,  and  the  order  to  show  him  the  disputed  land.  He 
counseled  him  to  use  the  utmost  caution;  pointing  out  that 
it  would  be  the  aim  of  the  man  to  provoke  him  to  violence 
and  then  murder  him  or  have  him  arrested  for  assault  with 
intent  to  kill.  To  his  surprise  El  Erizo  showed  not  a 
particle  of  anger;  but,  on  the  contrary,  seemed  pleased  at 
the  news. 

"  Seiior  Thomas,"  he  said,  "do  not  be  afraid;  my  three 
sons  and  I  know  every  rock  and  tree  and  hiding  place  on 
the  rancho.  He  might  have  as  many  eyes  as  a  tuna  has 
points  and  he  would  not  see  us.  This  man  will  not  stay 
there  long,  and  I  will  not  get  into  any  trouble.  It  is  the 


266          ROMANCE  ON  EL  GAMING  REAL 

padrone,  not  the  hireling,  that  I  will  settle  with."  And  he 
mounted  his  mustang,  and  with,  "  hasta  lluego,  Senor  Abo- 
gado,  buen  suerte,"  rode  off  to  his  rancho.  Herman  felt 
sure  that  on  election  day,  if  he  survived  the  advent  of 
Brooks'  "gun-man,"  he  would  try  to  make  real  his  wish  of 
good  luck  to  the  lawyer.  Later  on,  as  the  Doctor  and  Her 
man  drove  by  El  Roblar  Viejo  extension,  they  saw  El 
Erizo  and  the  vaquero  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho,  employed 
by  Brooks  to  assist  Antonio,  talking  together,  and  the 
vaquero  was  grinning  and  chuckling  between  puffs  of  his 
cigaritto. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

A    WILD    NIGHT    WITH    GEN.    PETERS 

IT  was  in  the  gray  of  the  evening  when  the  Doctor  and  Her 
man  drew  up  in  front  of  the  house  of  Gen.  Peters,,  which 
was  situated  at  the  entrance  of  the  pass  on  the  steep  bluff- 
bank  of  the  creek  which  flowed  through  it  to  the  sea.  The 
General  stood  on  the  porch,  and  with  a  flourish  of  his  leg- 
headed  cane,  bade  them  welcome  in  a  voice  somewhat  thick 
and  husky.  His  face  was  red  and  puffed  and  there  was 
a  wildness  in  his  protruding  eyes.  In  answer  to  an  oath- 
accented  summons  from  the  padrone  an  Indian  appeared 
and  took  charge  of  the  horses. 

"  Let  me  offer  you,  gentlemen,  a  glass  of  fine  old  native 
brandy  before  supper;  it  will  wash  the  dust  of  the  road 
from  your  throats  and  give  you  an  appetite."  Saying  which 
the  General  took  three  smoky-looking  whiskey  glasses  and 
held  them  in  one  fat  shaky  hand  under  the  spigot  of  a  barrel 
in  the  corner  which  he  turned  with  the  other,  and  filled  them 
with  raw  aguardiente,  keeping  one  himself  and  giving  the 
others  to  his  guests.  With  some  difficulty  and  the  aid  of  a 
pitcher  of  water,  they  bolted  the  fiery  stuff. 

"  Six  bits,"  said  the  General,  holding  out  his  hand. 

Herman  looked  at  the  host  a  little  dazed  and  then  took 
out  his  wallet  and  handed  him  a  dollar. 

"  Thank  you,  sah,"  he  said ;  and  put  the  dollar  in  his 
pocket,  not  offering  any  change.  "  There  is  the  lavatory, 
gentlemen,  if  you  desire  to  perform  your  ablutions,"  point 
ing  to  a  tin  basin  on  a  bench  at  the  end  of  the  porch  and  a 
towel  black  from  numerous  scrubbings  of  dusty  hands  and 
grimy  faces,  to  the  use  of  which  they  preferred  an  imperfect 
drying  with  their  handkerchiefs.  Supper  was  ready  to  be 
served  and  they  were  about  to  go  into  the  house  when  a 
stranger  rode  up  on  a  large  horse  that  looked  as  if  he  had 
come  out  of  a  dray.  The  rider,  himself,  was  odd  looking 
in  appearance  and  attire.  He  had  bushy  sandy-hued  hair 

26T 


268  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  beard,  and  wore  a  pair  of  green  goggles  secured  by  a 
leather  shoe-string  around  his  head.  He  had  on  what  ap 
peared  to  be  a  Dunkard's  cape  and  coat  with  the  tails  cut 
off  and  a  broad-brimmed  slouch  hat.  A  rifle  was  slung 
over  his  shoulder  and  as  he  dismounted,  he  disclosed  a  belt 
with  a  revolver  hanging  from  it. 

"  How  are  you,  friends,"  he  said ;  "  could  I  get  board  and 
lodging  here  to-night  for  myself  and  horse  ?  " 

"Certainly,  sah,"  said  the  General;  "turn  your  horse 
over  to  the  groom,  sah  —  here,  you  d — d  worthless  Indio 
perro,  take  this  gentleman's  horse.  Come  in,  the  supper 
is  ready.  But  permit  me,  sah,  to  quarantine  that  arsenal 
you  carry ;  it  might  become  obj  ectionable  if  you  are  a  sleep 
walker." 

"Is  that  so-o-o?"  said  the  stranger,  handing  him  over 
the  firearms  in  sight,  and  at  the  same  time,  when  his  back 
was  turned,  quickly  feeling  his  hip-pockets  to  be  sure  that 
his  derringers  were  there.  "  I  heard  that  there  were  a 
whole  lot  of  stage  robbers  and  bad-eggs  travelin  around 
this  part  of  the  country  and  that  I'd  better  take  some  guns 
along  with  me." 

"  It  is  a  slander,  sah ;  a  man's  safer  in  this  neighborhood 
than  on  Kearney  street,  San  Francisco.  Your  name, 
sah?" 

"  My  name?  Well,  before  I  left  Bedford  County,  Penn 
sylvania,  it  was  Jacob  Pennypacker,  but  since  I've  been 
travelin  the  pikes  of  California,  it's  been  changed  to  Old 
Bitswiper." 

"  Well,  I  trust,  sah,  that  you  have  been  successful  in 
swiping  enough  to  pay  the  board  and  lodging  for  yourself 
and  beast? " 

"  Well,  I  eat  all  my  rambows  and  drunk  all  my  Bedford 
water  on  the  steamer  coming  out,  but  my  money  ain't  all 
gone  anyhow  yet,  if  it  was  swapped  for  gold  and  silver  at 
fifty  cents  on  the  dollar,"  and  the  Bedford  County  man  put 
his  hand  in  his  trousers  pocket  which  reached  nearly  half 
way  down  his  leg,  and  pulled  up  a  handful  of  silver. 

"  Gentlemen,  as  you  have  heard,  this  is  Mr.  Pennypacker. 
Mr.  Pennypacker  this  is  Dr.  Vanderpool,  an  eminent  phy 
sician  and  surgeon  from  St.  Agnes ;  and  this  is  Mr.  Thomas, 
a  distinguished  lawyer  from  the  same  place,  candidate  for 


A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS       269 

district  attorney,  on  the  Low  White  ticket,  but  a  decent 
man.  And  I  am  Gen.  Peters,  born  in  Virginia,  and  raised 
there." 

"Is  that  so-o-o?"  said  Mr.  Pennypacker.  "Well,  I'm 
glad  to  git  acquainted  with  you.  A  bonesetter  and  a  states 
attorney  are  good  people  to  know  in  this  country.  But 
Mister  General,  my  stumick  ain't  very  good,  you  ain't  got 
nothing  to  drink,  ain't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sah ;  a  Southern  gentleman's  house  is  always  well 
equipped  in  this  respect.  I  have  some  fine  old  grape 
brandy.  If  you  will  invite  these,  my  guests,  I  have  no  ob 
jection  to  join  you/' 

Mr.  Pennypacker  gazed  at  Gen.  Peters  through  his  green 
goggles  for  a  moment,  then  said : 

"  Are  all  people  raised  in  Virginia  as  liberal  as  you  ? 
Well,  friends,  you  heard  what  the  General  said.  Take  a 
drink?  " 

The  Doctor  and  Herman  asked  to  be  excused,  but  Mr. 
Pennypacker  insisted,  and  four  glasses  received  each  a  fair 
sized  drink  from  the  aguardiente  barrel.  All  except  the 
General  diluted  their  potations,  and  then  struggled  to  get 
it  down.  Mr.  Pennypacker  handed  the  General  fifty  cents. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sah,  four  bits  more;  two  bits  a 
drink." 

"  Is  that  so-o-o?  If  you  got  your  schoolin  as  a  tavern- 
keeper  in  Virginia,  the  Hesse  Darmstadders  from  my  coun 
try  would  stand  no  more  show  there  than  the  Jews  do  in 
Glasgow.  Why,  there  ain't  a  still-house  in  Pennsylvania 
where  I  can't  git  a  glass  of  fine  old  rye  for  ten  cents. 
Well,  General,  that  extra  two  bits  has  given  me  an  appe 
tite.  I  for  one  am  ready  for  that  supper." 

Everyone  was  hungry  but  the  General,  and  did  full  justice 
to  the  ham  and  frijoles,  while  he  made  up  for  want  of  ap 
petite  by  a  consuming  thirst  which  he  endeavored  to  quench 
with  tumblers  of  native  wine  somewhat  less  powerful  than 
the  aguardiente.  After  supper  he  topped  off  with  another 
full  glass  from  the  barrel,  his  guests  declining  his  invitation 
to  join  him  in  what  had  proved  to  be  to  them  a  costly  re 
sponse  to  his  hospitality.  Having  lit  their  pipes,  the  three 
guests  strolled  over  to  see  that  the  horses  had  been  supplied 
with  a  good  feed  and  watered.  They  found  that  the  Indian 


270          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

had  given  them  a  fair  supper  of  good  barley  hay,  for  which 
from  their  experience  with  the  drinks,  they  expected  to  pay 
double  price.  The  north-west  wind,  which  had  been  coming 
since  dark  in  fitful  gusts,  now  began  to  roar  and  shriek  down 
the  canon  into  the  pass,  swishing  the  branches  of  the  trees 
and  rattling  and  banging  every  loose  gate  and  bar  and  pole 
about  them  and  blinding  them  with  its  sweepings.  Between 
its  wild  blasts  could  be  heard  the  curses  of  General  Peters 
in  whose  face  it  had,  with  no  gentle  blow,  slammed  the 
front  door. 

"  This  is  a  wild  night,"  said  Herman,  "  we  had  better  go 
in." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  and  at  the  rate  the  General 
has  been  tapping  the  aguardiente  barrel  we  will  have  a 
wild  man  as  landlord  before  the  night  is  over." 

"I  guess  that's  so,"  said  Mr.  Pennypacker;  "but  up  in 
Bedford  County  we're  kinder  used  to  the  chivalry  with 
snakes  in  their  boots,  the  same  as  we  are  to  copperheads, 
and  I  guess  I  can  draw  his  fangs  so  as  he  won't  do  no 
no  biting." 

They  returned  to  the  house  and  found  the  General  strid 
ing  up  and  down  the  hall,  with  his  plug  hat  on  the  back  of 
his  head,  his  cane  clenched  in  his  hand,  striking  at  some 
imaginary  foe,  muttering  and  cursing,  his  eyes  staring 
into  vacancy. 

"  Helloa,  boy,"  said  the  Doctor  in  his  placid  voice ;  "  tak 
ing  a  little  after-dinner  exercise?  Don't  do  it  too  strong; 
it's  bad  for  the  digestion." 

The  General  started  back  and  clapped  his  hand  to  his 
hip-pocket;  then  returning  to  his  senses,  said: 

"  The  d — d  wind  always  makes  me  nervous,  and  it  raises 
h — 1  up  here.  I'm  going  to  leave  this  infernal  hole.  It's 
killing  me.  Come  into  the  library." 

He  showed  them  into  a  room,  that  had  hardly  enough 
books  in  it  to  entitle  it  to  this  distinction.  There  were  some 
volumes  of  California  statutes,  a  number  of  detective  stories, 
and  piled  against  the  walls  were  what  seemed  to  be  hun 
dreds  of  periodicals  of  a  single  publication, —  all  numbers  of 
the  Police  Gazette.  There  were  a  few  chairs,  a  writing- 
desk  in  one  corner,  with  a  cabinet  above,  and  beside  it  a 
huge  spitoon  ornamented  with  yellow  stumps  of  cigarittos 


A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS       271 

next  to  a  lounge.  Each  dusty  article  of  furniture  was 
occupied  by  a  Police  Gazette. 

"  Sit  down,  gentlemen.  This  is  where  I  do  my  reading 
and  writing/'  said  the  General,  removing  the  papers  from 
the  chairs. 

"  From  the  character  of  your  literature,  General,"  re 
marked  the  Doctor,  "  you  might  be  able  to  give  our  friend, 
Thomas,  here,  some  valuable  practical  instruction  in  the 
science  of  criminal  prosecution." 

"  You  are  right,  sah,  even  if  you  expressed  that  sug 
gestion  in  jest,"  replied  the  General,  who  started  to  seat 
himself,  descending  gradually,  steadying  himself  with  his 
cane  until  he  passed  the  point  of  equilibrium  and  then  fall 
ing  back  into  his  chair,  striking  at  the  same  time  the  leaf 
of  the  writing-desk  with  a  blow  that  rattled  its  contents 
and  shook  the  furniture,  while  accompanying  his  landing, 
like  the  orchestra's  crash  at  the  fall  of  the  clown,  came  a 
shriek  from  the  wind  that  partially  drowned  the  General's 
fearful  oaths. 

"  Your  climate,  General,"  said  Mr.  Pennypacker,  "  kinder 
agrees  with  your  readin  matter.  Now,  if  you  only  had  here 
sometimes  a  real  criminal,  such  as  a  murderer  or  a  horse- 
thief  or  a  stage-robber,  you  would  have  a  whole  lot  of  fun 
all  to  yourself  without  the  trouble  of  goin  to  a  theayter." 

"If  you  think  this  room  has  had  nothing  but  criminal  biog 
raphies  in  it,  you  are  greatly  mistaken,  sah.  Not  a  few  of 
the  famous  hunted  men  with  rewards  on  their  heads  have 
spent  the  evening  in  this  room,  secure  from  betrayal,  dis 
cussing  with  me  the  lives  of  suspects  and  noted  characters, 
convicted  and  hounded  by  the  law's  minions,  and  the  science 
of  escape.  Jack  Powers  and  Joaquin  Murieta  have  taken 
many  a  glass  of  my  aguardiente  and  profited  by  my  study 
of  law-breaking  and  knowledge  of  the  resources  of  fugitives. 
Ned  McGowan,  the  distinguished  escape  from  the  clutches 
of  that  gang  of  assassins,  the  vigilantes  of  San  Francisco, 
was  my  guest  for  a  week,  and  we  afforded  each  other  a 
great  deal  of  intellectual  enjoyment." 

"Is  that  so-o-o?  You're  pretty  lucky,  in  living  where 
you  can  meet  sich  fellows.  I've  been  a  drover  for  twenty- 
five  years  and  have  come  across  some  pretty  tough  customers 
on  the  road  but  I  aint  ever  had  a  chance  to  travel  with  any 


274  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Gentlemen/'  he  said,  "  this  publication,  even  if  there 
is  much  of  sensational  in  it,  is  most  instructive,  as  well  as 
interesting.  In  it  you  have  a  record  of  all  the  crimes  that 
are  made  public,  those  concerned  in  them,  the  ones  punished, 
those  that  escaped,  and  what  is  the  most  absorbing  of  all, 
the  theories  and  all  speculation  about  the  ones  who  are 
never  discovered.  I  am  familiar  with  the  details  of  every 
murder  that  has  been  committed  within  the  past  twenty 
years.  But  although  the  facts  this  publication  contains  are 
most  valuable,  its  theories  and  conclusions  are  most  of  the 
time  absurd.  There  is  one  thing  that  invariably  leads  to 
detection  of  a  criminal,  and  one  thing  that  generally  shields 
him  from  discovery.  The  first  is  the  thought,  that  so  many 
have,  that  he  is  being  suspected  and  watched,  which  leads 
him  to  resort  to  all  sorts  of  unnatural  acts  to  divert  sus 
picion.  He  becomes  his  own  pursuer.  The  second  is  the 
dismissal  of  the  crime  by  the  perpetrator  from  his  con 
sideration,  and  going  on  about  his  business  as  though  some 
body  else  had  committed  it,  or  as  if  it  were  an  impossibility 
to  connect  him  with  it.  If  a  man  has  pluck  enough  to 
pursue  his  course,  in  the  absence  of  eye  witnesses,  where 
there  is  only  circumstantial  evidence,  it  is  the  rarest  thing 
that  he  is  discovered.  There  are  men  who  have  acted  in 
this  way  that  have  been  accused  and  arrested  and  put 
through  a  sweating  process  that  would  have  at  once  broken 
down  the  weak  ones  belonging  to  the  first  class,  but  which 
failed  to  worm  out  of  them  a  single  compromising  thing, 
and  they  were  discharged.  There  isn't  any  reason  why 
anybody  should  be  caught  where  there  was  no  third  party  to 
tell  tales.  You  gentlemen  may  remember  the  murder  of 
Dr.  Burdell  not  so  very  many  years  ago." 

"  I  recollect  the  murder  and  have  often  passed  the  house 
in  Bond  Street  where  it  was  committed,"  said  Herman, 
"  but  the  details  have  passed  from  my  mind." 

"  Well,  sah,"  continued  the  General,  "  it  is  as  fresh  in 
my  mind,  with  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  it,  as 
if  it  had  occurred  yesterday.  There  was  a  murder  once 
committed  in  this  canon.  Maybe  you  heard  of  it?"  and 
he  looked  sharply  from  one  to  the  other. 
"  Is  that  s-o-o?  "  said  Mr.  Pennypacker,"  it  must  have  been 


A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS       275 

long  before  my  time;   for  I  never  heard  of  anything  with 
more  sense  than  a  heifer  being  killed  here." 

"  The  Doctor  of  course  knows  about  it,  though  he  wasn't 
here  at  the  time/'  resumed  the  General.  "  Well,  gentlemen, 
that  murder  occurred  on  the  same  night  as  the  Burdell 
murder,  and  here  the  night  was  just  like  to-night.  D — n 
that  wind !  And,  strange  to  say,  a  great  storm  was  raging 
in  the  City  of  New  York.  I  was  sitting  in  this  room, 
reading  a  newspaper, —  not  the  Police  Gazette,  for  I  hadn't 
begun  taking  it  then, —  when  right  between  two  yells  of  the 
wind  a  wild  cry  made  me  jump  to  my  feet."  Here  the 
General  started  up  and  walked  unsteadily  back  and  forth, 
as  he  went  on :  "I  thought  at  first  it  was  a  woman's  voice, 
and  then  I  concluded  it  was  a  coyote,  and  paid  no  more 
attention  to  it.  The  next  morning  the  remains  of  a  man 
and  his  wife  living  down  at  the  mouth  of  the  caiion  were 
found  in  the  ruins  of  their  burned  cabin.  My  God,  do 
you  hear  that?  —  it  was  like  that."  A  cry  from  the  wind, 
not  unlike  the  voice  of  a  human  being  in  agony,  had  pierced 
the  air,  and  it  was  a  moment  or  two  before  the  narrator 
recovered  from  his  shivering  and  was  ready  to  proceed. 
"  The  account  of  the  Burdell  murder  came  to  me, —  was 
brought  to  me  by  Jack  Powers, —  on  the  arrival  of  the  first 
steamer,  and  I  then  followed  up  all  the  details  to  the  end. 
It  appeared  that  in  the  midst  of  the  storm,  just  about  the 
hour  I  heard  this  cry,  a  shriek  of  murder  was  heard  in 
Bond  Street  in  New  York,  coming  from  the  neighborhood 
of  the  house  of  Dr.  Burdell.  The  party  that  heard  it 
could  not  tell  from  where  it  came,  and  it  was  only  the  next 
morning  that  it  was  discovered  that  Dr.  Burdell  had  been 
murdered.  The  murdered  man  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
letting  rooms  in  his  house,  which  was  a  large  one,  and  never 
inquired  about  or  cared  to  know  the  character  for  respect 
ability  of  his  lodgers.  At  that  time  a  good-looking  widow, 
named  Mrs.  Cunningham,  who  was  left-handed,  occupied 
rooms  in  the  house.  She  had  evidently  set  her  cap  for  the 
proprietor,  and  he  became  her  intimate.  She  began  to  dis 
play  insane  jealousy  concerning  the  Doctor,  and  had  oc 
casion,  as  his  favors  were  never  confined  to  one  woman, 
and  she  had  grown  to  consider  herself  the  mistress  of  the 


276  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

household,  and  she  frequently  upbraided  him  violently  for 
his  attention  to  others. 

"  On  the  eve  of  the  murder  she  learned  that  he  had 
arranged  to  let  the  house  to  another.  When  she  heard 
this,  she  remarked  to  the  informant,  '  he  may  not  live  to 
sign  the  papers/  He  was  stabbed  to  death  with  a  sharp 
dagger,  and  the  blows  were  inflicted  by  a  left-handed 
person.  There  was  a  trail  and  smears  of  blood  all  over 
the  house  and  down  to  the  apartments  of  Mrs.  Cunning 
ham.  The  whole  world  knew  within  their  own  minds  that 
she  was  the  murderess.  What  did  she  do?  Did  she  show 
any  nervousness  or  fear  of  detection  or  try  to  escape  sus 
picion?  No;  she  coolly  and  undisturbed  faced  the  suspicion 
and  not  only  did  not  attempt  to  hide  what  might  be  in 
criminating  circumstances,  but  herself  furnished  evidences  of 
a  motive  for  the  commission  of  the  crime  by  producing  a 
certificate  of  her  marriage  to  the  victim  and  claimed  her 
share  of  his  property  as  his  wife.  She  was  arrested  and 
imprisoned,  and  all  the  ingenuity  of  the  police  was  unable 
to  break  her  assurance  down.  She  was  tried  and  acquitted, 
though  everyone  felt  sure  of  her  guilt.  She  was  not  con 
tent  with  the  widow's  share  of  the  property,  but  procured 
an  infant  which  she  palmed  off  as  BurdelFs  posthumous 
child,  in  order  to  secure  it  all.  In  the  last  scheme  she  let 
a  physician  into  her  confidence  who  reported  it  to  the  police, 
and  she  was  again  arrested.  This  did  not  in  the  least 
disconcert  her,  and  she  was  soon  at  liberty,  and  later  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  meet  and  converse  with  her  here  in 
California."  The  General's  voice  was  here  drowned  in 
a  wild  charivari  from  out  the  canon,  to  which  he  responded 
by  stamping  his  feet,  cursing,  shaking  his  fist  and  shout 
ing  defiance. 

"  Did  you  ever  discuss  these  matters  with  your  friend, 
Brooks  ?  "  asked  the  Doctor,  after  he  and  the  wind  became 
calmer. 

"  Yes,  sah,"  said  the  General,  glaring  at  the  interrogator; 
"  I  have,  sah,  in  this  room." 

"  What  was  his  opinion?  " 

"  By  Gad,  sah,  he  had  the  impudence  to  yawn  in  my 
face  and  ask  me  to  tell  him  something  new.  And  what 
do  you  think  I  told  him,  sah?  I  told  him  to  excuse  me; 


A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS       277 

that,  if  I  had  only  stopped  to  think,  I  would  have  remem 
bered  that  the  observance  of  this  rule  had  made  him  so  suc 
cessful  in  covering  his  tracks.  Mr.  Brooks,  sah,  had  better 
look  out,  the  d  —  d  ingrate ;  for  there  is  another  necessity  to 
observe  in  avoiding  detection:  a  man  must  be  loyal  to  his 
helpers;  he  can't  afford  to  bluff  them.  Although  I'm  no 
abettor  of  him  in  his  criminal  acts,  curse  him,  I'll  get  even 
with  him.  Yes,  you  cold-blooded,  black-hearted  traitor,  I 
have  pulled  some  of  your  chestnuts  out  of  the  fire  and  helped 
you  feather  your  nest,  and  by  Gad,  you'll  not  pitch  me  to 
one  side  like  an  old  glove,  d — n  you." 

"Who  is  Mr.  Brooks?"  asked  the  drover. 

"  He's  a  successful  lawyer  from  San  Francisco,"  said 
the  Doctor. 

"  A  successful  lawyer !  Any  infernal  scoundrel,  any 
d — d  robber  like  him  could  be  successful.  But  I'll  show 
him,  the  dirty  cur,  he  can't  be  successful  at  my  expense." 
And  the  irate  denouncer  betook  himself  to  the  aguardiente 
barrel,  returning  looking  redder  and  wilder  and  his  eyes 
sticking  out  farther  than  ever. 

"  Did  you  know,"  said  Herman,  "  that  Brooks  has  or 
dered  Antonio  Castafios  into  St.  Agnes  and  sent  a  cow 
boy  to  take  his  place  ?  " 

"  No,  sah,  I  didn't  know  that  he  had  sent  for  Antonio, 
but  I  saw  the  tough  looking  cow-boy.  He  stopped  here 
and  asked  me  about  the  rancho  and  if  I  knew  El  Erizo  and 
what  kind  of  a  man  he  was.  I  can  see  Brooks  has  sent  him 
to  get  away  with  El  Erizo;  but  as  smart  as  he  is,  he  is 
not  smart  enough  for  that  old  Greaser.  Brooks  is  the 
coyote  he  has  taken  oath  to  scalp,  and  no  cow-boy  will 
get  away  with  him  or  put  him  into  trouble  before  he  does 
it." 

"  Do  you  suppose,"  said  Herman,  "  he  means  to  dis 
pense  with  Antonio's  services  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sah ;  you'll  find  that  he  has  concluded  the  time  has 
come  to  freeze  him  out;  he'll  sell  the  miserable  lot  of 
shares  of  stock  he  gave  him  for  his  interest  in  the  rancho 
and  clean  him  out.  He  thinks  he's  out  of  the  woods  and 
has  no  more  use  for  him  or  for  Pedro  or  for  me.  Why, 
curse  his  reptile  heart,  he  not  only  refused  to  pay  me  any 
thing  further  on  what  he  owes  me  for  my  valuable  services 


278  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

to  him,  but  lie  has  insulted  me,  sah,  wounded  me,  sah, 
keenly  sah;  he  said  that  I  could  look  around  for  some 
other  philanthropist  to  put  up  the  coin  for  me  to  drink  my 
self  to  death;  that  he  was  done  with  running  an  alms-house 
for  soaks  and  Indians.  But  the  man  is  mad,  sah,  reck 
lessly  mad,  sah,  he  thinks  he's  invincible;  but  wait  to  the 
end,  and  see  where  he  lands." 

"  So  he  owes  you  something,  does  he?  "  said  the  drover. 

"  Owes  me?  Why,  sah,  he  owes  me  everything  he  has 
in  the  county.  It  was  I  that  got  him  hired  to  confirm  the 
grant  of  El  Roblar  Viejo;  it  was  I  that  secured  him  Pedro's 
and  Antonio's  interests,  and  made  his  sham  company  the 
owner  of  the  whole  property." 

"  How  about  Jose's  interest  ?  "  asked  Herman.  "  Did 
you  get  him  that  also  ?  " 

"  No,  sah ;  Old  Jose,  if  he  had  not  died  would  have  been 
too  much  for  him;  the  Company  would  never  have  got 
his  interest,  and  what's  more,  they  never  did  get  it,  or 
I'm  an  innocent  child." 

"  But  there's  a  deed  recorded,"  said  Herman,  "  from 
him  to  the  company,  and  I've  been  told  that  stock  was 
given  him,"  continued  Herman. 

"  Yes,  there  is  the  record  of  a  deed;  but  in  this  country, 
especially  when  that  one  made  its  appearance,  deeds  were 
made  as  easy  as  adobes,  and  who  can  swear  he  saw  him 
sign  it?  I  am  a  witness  to  it,  and  so  is  Pedro,  but  neither 
one  of  us  saw  him  sign  it.  It  was  presented  to  us  by 
Manuel  Espinosa  who  asked  us  if  we  recognized  the  signa 
ture  as  that  of  Jose.  We  both  knew  his  signature  and  rub 
ric,  and  it  certainly  seemed  to  be  his  on  the  deed;  so, 
at  his  request,  we  signed  as  witnesses  and  acknowledged 
it  as  witnesses.  Espinosa  then  handed  me  a  certificate  of 
five  hundred  shares  of  the  company's  stock  made  out  in 
Jose's  name  and  told  me  to  hand  it  to  him." 

"  Did  you  do  so  ?  "  inquired  Herman. 

"  Do  so,  sah  ?  The  man  was  dying  then  and  passed  in 
his  checks  the  next  day,  and  here's  the  certificate." 

With  considerable  difficulty  and  danger  to  the  desk,  the 
drover  holding  on  to  the  lamp,  the  General  opened  the 
cabinet  and,  after  fumbling  among  papers  in  a  pigeon-hole, 
pulled  out  the  stock  certificate. 


A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS       279 

"  There  it  is,  gentlemen,,  and  it  has  been  in  my  possession 
ever  since  it  was  delivered  to  me.  Of  course  I  know  it 
was  intended  by  Brooks  that  I  keep  it  and  hold  my  mouth 
about  it,  and,  if  it  became  necessary,  to  swear  that  he  de 
livered  it  to  me  as  agent  of  Jose." 

"  You  don't  say  so !  "  exclaimed  the  drover,  "  and  the 
fellow  has  the  cheek  to  turn  you  down  and  abuse  you  at 
the  same  time.  Why,  do  you  know  what  I  would  do  with 
that  skin-flint?" 

"  I  would  be  pleased,  sah,  to  learn  what  course  you 
would  pursue,"  replied  the  General. 

"  I  would  turn  that  stock  over  to  this  young  lawyer  who 
is  running  for  district  attorney,  or  some  other  lawyer  whom 
you  can  trust,  and  state  to  him  all  the  services  you  have 
rendered  the  fellow,  and  let  him  make  a  demand  on  him 
for  what  they  are  worth,  giving  him  just  so  much  time 
to  pay,  and  telling  him  if  he  don't  put  up  before  then, 
that  you  will  sue  him,  and  I  bet  you'll  get,  if  not  all,  a 
good  part  of  your  claim." 

"  An  excellent  idea,  sah.  Take  the  stock,  Mr.  Thomas." 
Just  then  came  a  series  of  demoniac  groans  and  moans 
from  the  wind  that  gave  the  General  a  temporary  attack  of 
palsy. 

"  Stop  your  infernal  howling,"  he  cried,  shaking  his  fist 
at  the  window.  "Curse  this  devilish  canon;  all  the  imps 
of  hell  travel  through  it.  I  must  get  away,  or  they'll 
hound  me  to  death.  I'll  go  to  St.  Agnes  in  a  couple  of 
days,  Mr.  Thomas,  and  I'll  tell  you  then,  sah,  all  that  I 
have  done  for  that  bird  of  prey." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  I  don't  know  how 
you  feel,  but  I'm  tired  and  must  turn  in." 

"  That's  my  fix  too,"  said  the  drover. 

"  Well,  if  that's  the  case,  gentlemen,  we'll  retire. 
There's  the  spare  bedroom  across  the  hall,  which  Dr.  Van- 
derpool  and  Mr.  Thomas  can  occupy,  you'll  find  a  candle 
in  there;  while  Mr.  Pennypacker,  who  has  his  blankets 
with  him,  can  occupy  this  lounge  for  his  couch.  My  bed 
room  adjoins  the  spare  room,  if  you  have  need  of  anything 
during  the  night.  I  wish  you  a  comfortable  rest.  Can 
we  take  a  nightcap  ?  " 

The  visitors  declined  the  invitation,  and  the  Doctor  and 


280          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Herman  betook  themselves  to  the  spare  bedroom,  leaving 
the  drover  to  repose  among  the  biographies  of  criminals 
and  a  quarter  of  a  century's  records  of  their  crimes. 

The  Doctor  struck  a  light,  after  the  wind  had  banged 
the  door  to,  and  the  two  made  an  inspection  of  their  night's 
apartment.  The  bed  took  up  the  greater  part  of  the  small 
room.  It  looked  as  if  it  had  never  been  made.  Turning 
down  the  bur-laded,  dusty  blanket,  a  sheet  and  a  pillow 
cases  were  disclosed  of  the  color  of  a  mustard  plaster,  upon 
which  a  squad  of  fleas  were  playing  leap-frog.  There  were 
a  rickety  chair  and  a  small  table  covered  by  a  stained 
newspaper,  on  which  stood  the  candle  and  a  dirty  wash 
basin  and  pitcher,  with  half  of  its  mouth  broken  off.  There 
was  no  lower  sash  to  the  window,  which  let  out  on  the 
river  bank,  and  the  full  blast  of  the  wind's  pandemonium 
forced  itself  with  an  added  screech  into  the  room.  Herman 
held  up  the  blanket  and  the  Doctor  beat  out  the  coarse  dirt 
and  some  of  the  fleas  with  a  lath  he  found  in  a  corner; 
and  then  they  shook  it  and  covered  with  it  the  unsightly 
linen,  and  Herman  gave  it  a  heavy  layer  from  his  in 
separable  companion,  the  flea-powder  bottle.  Then  the  two 
retired,  with  their  trousers  for  pillows  and  their  coats 
for  covering.  In  a  few  minutes  their  host  ricochetted  his 
way  from  the  bar  to  his  bed-room,  slammed  the  door,  and 
fell,  with  a  crash  into  bed.  There  was  a  volume  of  oaths, 
which  only  seemed  to  sound  fiercer  coming  through  the 
thin  partition  that  separated  his  apartment  from  that  of  his 
guests,  then  a  dead  silence,  followed  by  a  series  of  snorts 
and  grunts. 

The  Doctor  and  Herman  had  been  asleep  a  couple  of 
hours,  when  they  were  awakened  by  an  unearthly  paroxys 
mal  shriek  above  the  revelry  of  the  storm,  and  starting  up 
they  saw  a  black  object  resembling  the  head  of  some  huge, 
grotesque  beast,  protruding  through  the  window.  On  close 
inspection  they  found  it  to  be  a  jackass,  who  seemed  to 
be  in  the  same  vein  as  his  master,  and  if  he  had  been 
gifted  as  was  the  member  of  his  race  owned  by  Balaam, 
he  would  have  doubtless  belched  forth  a  torrent  of  blas 
phemy  and  called  for  a  draught  from  the  aguardiente 
barrel.  The  outcry  from  the  beast  aroused  his  fellow  in 
the  adjoining  room,  who,  commencing  with  guttural  mut- 


A  WILD  NIGHT  WITH  GEN.  PETERS   *81 

terings,  which  turned  to  broken  fragments  of  tragic  de 
clamation,  then  burst  forth  into  a  tirade  of  unholy  abuse 
and  horrible  curses;  and  rolling  from  the  bed  to  the  floor 
and  struggling  to  his  feet,,  he  stamped  back  and  forth, 
shaking  the  house,  and  crying  for  help  and  shouting  and 
yelling: 

"  Back,  you  hell-hound!  "  he  shrieked;  "  take  your  claws 
away  from  my  throat,  or  I'll  knife  you  again,  curse 
you ;  and  you  —  you  green-eyed,  pinto-bearded,  black 
hearted  viper  —  you're  the  one  that's  hissing  him  on;  I'll 
send  you  to  hell  to  keep  him  company.  I'm  not  afraid  of 
any  of  you.  You  can't  bluff  me,  d — n  you !  Who  said  he 
saw  me  do  it?  You  lie!  you  lie!  you  lie!  "  and  as  the  wind 
swept  down  the  canon  with  a  chorus  of  wild  shrieks,  he 
screamed : 

"  Keep  away,  keep  away,  you  demons  of  hell ;  you'll 
never  take  me.  How  do  you  like  the  sound  and  smell  of 
that  ?  "  and  a  pistol  shot  rang  out  through  the  wild  din. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Doctor,  give  him  something  to  put 
him  asleep,  or  we  might  as  well  camp  out  for  the  night," 
said  Herman.  "  He  can't  hurt  you,  as  Pennypacker,  when 
you  and  he  were  barring  the  door,  unloaded  his  revolver 
and  put  in  blank  cartridges." 

"  Huh,  I'll  settle  him  for  the  night,"  said  the  Doctor,  and 
rapping  on  the  partition,  he  called  out: 

"  Helloa,  boy.  General,  I  say,  General,  are  you  awake  ? 
set  up  the  drinks;  I'm  thirsty." 

"  Certainly,  sah,  certainly;  one  moment,  and  I  will  be 
with  you,"  said  the  General,  brought  at  once  to  his  senses 
by  the  mention  of  drinks. 

The  Doctor  struck  a  light,  took  a  vial  from  his  medicine 
wallet,  met  the  General  as  he  came  out  of  the  door,  and 
was  joined  by  the  drover  who  said  he  was  a  little  restless 
and  would  like  something  to  calm  his  nerves. 

"  I  see  you  ain't  very  steady,"  said  he  to  the  General, 
"let  me  tap  the  barrel;  I'm  an  old  hand."  And  suiting 
his  action  to  his  words,  he  filled  a  glass  into  which  the 
Doctor  dropped  two  or  three  pellets  and  the  General 
drained  it.  They  then  returned  to  their  quarters,  and  their 
host's  ravings  ceased  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

PEDRO    CASTANOS'    DOG    BITES    MR.    BROOKS 

THE  drover  emerged  from  his  chamber  of  silent  horrors 
before  there  was  a  stir  in  the  house,  and  took  an  inspection 
of  the  premises  from  bar-room  to  kitchen  and  corral  to 
beehives;  paid  a  visit  to  his  big  horse,  rubbed  its  nose 
and  examined  its  hoofs.  Suddenly  his  slouch  hat  was 
jerked  from  his  head,  and  turning  he  found  confronting 
him  the  caller  whose  terrifying  salutation  had  broken  the 
slumbers  of  Herman  and  the  Doctor  during  the  night,  who 
was  solemnly  shaking  it  up  and  down,  fanning  its  owner, 
at  the  same  time  wagging  its  long  ears. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,  I  see  you've  traveled  in  a  circus," 
said  Mr.  Pennypacker.  "  One  of  the  General's  family,  ac 
quired,  I  presume,  in  payment  of  two-bit  drinks.  I  would 
have  removed  my  hat  had  I  noticed  your  presence.  May 
I  beg  you  to  return  it  ?  "  Saying  which  he  squeezed  the 
donkey's  windpipe  with  one  hand  and  seized  his  hat  with 
the  other,  when  it  released  its  hold.  The  Indian  hostler 
here  put  in  his  appearance  and  picking  up  a  piece  of 
chaparral,  with  a  "  fuera  bruto/'  dealt  the  impudent  in 
truder  a  blow  over  the  ears  and  received  in  return  a  whack 
in  the  eyes  with  the  tassel  of  his  tail,  as  the  beast  strutted 
off.  The  drover  then  quizzed  the  Indian  in  Spanish,  which 
he  seemed  to  speak  writh  wonderful  fluency  for  a  Bedford 
County  drover,  about  his  master,  the  place  and  the  people 
that  visited  it,  and  seemed  especially  interested  in  the  cattle- 
buyer,  who  had  spent  the  night  there  not  long  since.  He 
was  soon  joined  by  the  occupants  of  the  spare  bed-room, 
whom  he  asked  if  they  had  spent  a  quiet  night,  and  slept 
well. 

"  Huh,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  you  must  have  let  loose  a 
battalion  of  the  worthies  you  slept  with,  the  fiendish  riot 
that  was  raised  inside  and  out." 


PEDRO  CASTA^OS'  DOG  283 

"  I  wonder  how  our  worthy  host  is  this  morning,"  re 
marked  Herman. 

"  Torpid  enough,  I  venture  to  say/'  said  the  Doctor.  As 
he  spoke,  the  General  appeared  on  the  porch,  his  face 
bloated,  his  eyes  red  and  heavy  and  his  legs  shaking.  In 
a  husky  voice  he  announced  that  coffee  was  served. 

"  I  hope,  gentlemen,  that  you  had  a  refreshing  night's 
rest,"  he  said. 

"  Remarkably  restful,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  Did  you  sleep 
well?" 

"  Never  opened  my  eyes,  sah,  from  the  moment  my 
head  touched  the  pillow." 

Breakfast  over,  while  the  Doctor  and  Pennypacker  were 
busy  about  the  horses,  the  General  beckoned  Herman  into 
the  library,  and  having  shut  the  door,  said  in  a  mysterious 
voice,  "  What  do  you  think,  sah,  of  that  man  Pennypacker? 
What  is  he?  Who  is  he?" 

"  Well,  I  haven't  thought  very  much  about  it,"  replied 
Herman:  "he  talks  like  a  Pennsylvanian,  and  looks  and 
acts  like  drovers  I  have  seen." 

"  That  man,  sah,  is  no  more  drover  than  you  or  I. 
You,  sah,  if  you  expect  to  be  a  successful  lawyer,  should 
do  as  I  do,  study  the  lives  and  actions  of  criminals,  and 
in  the  light  of  what  you  learn  from  this  study,  size  up 
everyone  you  meet,  and  you  will  soon  be  able  to  read  a 
man's  character  and  tell  what  he  is,  without  looking  at 
his  pedigree.  All  men  are  criminals,  and  it  is  only  a 
matter  of  degree  with  them  which  one  is  greater  or  lesser 
than  the  other.  Now,  it  took  me  but  very  little  time  to 
know  that  man,  and  what  he  is  after.  That  man,  sah, 
is  a  pal  of  the  cattle-buyer  stage-robber  who  was  here  a 
few  evenings  ago.  You  heard  him  inquire  about  his  where 
abouts.  Now,  sah,  record  in  your  memory  what  I  say: 
These  two  men  will  meet  by  appointment  and  before  very 
long  —  just  as  soon  as  they  are  tipped  by  a  confederate 
that  Wells-Fargo  has  shipped  a  big  consignment  of  coin  — 
there  will  be  a  hold-up  in  this  county." 

Herman  duly  expressed  his  astonishment  and  admira 
tion  of  the  perspicacity  of  the  General,  and  then  handed 
him  a  twenty-dollar  gold  piece  and  asked  him  to  take 
it  into  his  till  and  change  it  and  take  out  what  he  and  the 


284  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Doctor  owed  for  board  and  lodging  for  themselves  and 
their  horses. 

"  This  will  be  sufficient,  sah,  to  pay  your  bill  and  the 
expense  of  a  barbecue  I  shall  give  in  your  interest  be 
fore  election/'  and  the  General  pocketed  the  double-eagle. 

Herman,  subdued  into  speechlessness  by  the  overwhelm 
ing  assurance  on  the  part  of  this  past-master  of  criminology., 
walked  out  in  the  direction  of  the  stables.  He  encountered 
the  drover  returning  to  the  house,  leading  his  horse,  who 
stopped  him,  and  glancing  about  to  see  if  he  was  unob 
served,  for  an  instant  lifted  up  his  goggles  and  displayed 
to  him  his  unveiled  eyes,  in  which  there  was  an  unmistakable 
twinkle. 

"  Howells,  I  swear !  What  the  mischief  are  you  masquer 
ading  here  for?"  exclaimed  Herman. 

"  Oh,"  replied  the  sham  drover,  replacing  his  glasses, 
"  I  have  a  little  business  with  the  cattle-buyer  who  was 
here  a  few  evenings  ago." 

"  The  General  takes  you  to  be  his  pal/'  said  Herman. 

"  I  dropped  on  to  that  as  soon  as  he  spoke  of  him,"  said 
Howells. 

"  I'll  see  you  in  St.  Agnes,  as  soon  as  I  land  my  man, 
which  will  be  in  a  few  days.  So  good-byj  I'm  sorry  to 
lose  such  good  company,"  and  calling  the  General,  he 
settled  his  score  in  silver,  not  affording  him  the  opportunity 
to  retain  any  change  and  telling  him  to  give  his  love  to 
any  Wells-Fargo  road  agent  that  came  along,  mounted 
his  horse  and  was  off. 

When  the  Doctor  and  Herman  were  prepared  to  depart, 
the  Doctor  handed  the  General  a  little  packet,  saying: 

"  Take  that  blue  mass  to-night,  my  boy,  and  follow  it 
up  with  the  castor-oil  tomorrow  morning  and  put  a  three 
days'  time  lock  on  that  aguardiente  barrel,  or  your  trained 
jackass  and  the  howling  wind  devils  will  be  holding  a  wake 
over  a  saffron  colored  corpse  in  a  shroud  of  Police  Gazettes, 
inside  a  week." 

As  they  drove  away  the  General  stood  on  the  porch,  his 
whole  body  trembling,  his  plug  hat  squeezing  his  swollen 
head  into  the  shape  of  a  pear,  clasping  tightly  in  one 
hand  the  Doctor's  dose,  and  with  the  other  steadying  him 
self  with  his  leg-handled  cane;  his  eyes  were  bleared,  his 


PEDRO  CASTAftOS'  DOG  285 

face    bloated    and    yellow    and    on    it    was    a    ghastly    ex 
pression  of  fright. 

The  wind,  the  invariable  follower  of  a  rain  storm  in 
the  semi-tropics,  (it  being  early  in  the  year,)  instead  of  a 
three  days'  campaign  —  always  incident  to  the  middle  and 
end  of  the  season's  rains, —  was  content  with  a  night's  revel, 
and  had  died  down  to  a  gentle  breeze  that  stole  up  the 
canon  from  the  sea,  cleanly  and  cool  and  refreshing,  a 
breath  of  nature's  pure  life  that  fanned  away  the  sicken 
ing  fumes  of  the  unhallowed  household  they  had  just 
left.  It  was  the  same  mountain  pass  whose  grandeur  and 
beauty  had  impressed  Herman  when,  at  the  same  time  of 
the  year,  the  Hon.  William  McElhenny  piloted  him  through 
it,  after  two  days  and  nights  on  the  dusty  road.  If  it 
had  not  the  romance  of  a  primal  vision,  its  loveliness  had 
added  charm  after  the  rain  had  washed  the  summer's 
brown  coating  from  trees  and  plants  and  rocky  walls, 
and  a  freshened  beauty  graced  the  newly  baptized  land 
scape.  The  golden  leaves  of  the  sycamore  still  clinging 
to  their  branches  and  those  that  gave  an  Oriental  coloring 
to  the  brown  carpeting  beneath  and  the  crimson  vines, 
brightly  burnished,  contrasted  joyously  with  the  polished, 
glistening  foliage  of  oak  and  evergreen.  And  the  stream 
which  the  heat  of  summer  had  shrunk  and  muffled,  had  ex 
panded  its  bosom  and  regained  the  merry  music  of  its  voice; 
and  a  perfume  of  spring  blended  with  the  odors  of  Autumn 
ashes.  The  air  carried  the  summer's  caresses  and  was 
quickened  with  the  coming  winter's  breath,  and  seemed 
to  bear  to  Herman  from  mystic  lands  beyond  the  blended 
ocean  and  sky,  an  inspiration  gentle  with  love's  soften 
ing  sentiment  and  stern  with  the  spirit  of  heroic  duty, 
and  an  aspiration  to  win  men's  hearts  by  love  while  nobly 
fighting  the  battle  of  life  on  the  side  of  justice  and 
principle.  Jogging  along  in  the  Doctor's  comfortable 
buggy,  the  rumbling  of  the  wheels  and  the  quiet  driver's 
chirrup  and  tattoo  on  the  horses'  backs  —  a  rhythmical  ac~ 
companiment  to  his  thoughts  —  he  had  more  time  and  was 
in  better  mood  than  when  first  revealed  to  him,  to  see 
and  be  impressed  with  the  varied  features  of  the  pic 
turesque  beauty  of  this  rugged  roadway  nature  had  cut 
through  the  mountain  range.  It  seemed  a  temple  of  peace, 


286  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  he  could  hardly  realize  that  the  night  before  it  had 
been  the  passage-way  of  an  army  of  yelling  demons.  The 
subdued  and  soft-toned  voices  of  nature,  floating  upon 
the  ocean's  zephyrs,  had  succeeded  to  the  storm's  wild 
outcry,  and  sang  to  the  fancy  in  gentle  strains.  His 
thoughts  went  back  to  the  evening  at  Col.  Morgan's  when 
Martha  gave  a  soul  to  the  song  he  had  written  for  her; 
and  the  thrilling  notes  of  her  rich-toned  voice,  breathing 
sadness  and  longing,  came  to  him  up  from  out  of  the 
harmony  of  the  woodlands,  and  blended  with  his  own 
fancies  tinged  with  melancholy.  Indeed,  she  often  stole 
into  his  thoughts  —  not  when  he  was  in  the  midst  of  gayety 
and  merry-making,  but  when  the  serious  part  of  his  nature 
held  sway,  when  the  yearning  for  a  human  companion 
ship  in  his  wanderings  with  sacred  spirits  away  from  the 
world's  maskers  and  jesters  was  strong  within  his  heart; 
the  fellowship  with  one  that  could  comprehend  and  have 
sympathy  with  his  inspirations  and  aspirations  the  world 
had  only  scorn  and  ridicule  for.  The  same  vein  in  senti 
ment  seemed  to  be  the  theme  of  character  of  both;  they 
each  had  their  few  moments  of  exalted  joyousness  in 
bright  association  and  their  many  of  melancholy  musing 
in  cherished  solitude.  He  was  perfectly  at  ease  in  her 
society,  conscious  of  her  truthful  and  ingenuous  character; 
and  yet  she  seemed  very  far  away  from  him,  and  there 
was  about  her  presence  something  that  made  familiar  ap 
proach  or  display  of  sentimental  feeling  towards  herself 
impossible.  The  idea  that  he  might  some  day  win  her 
love  and  life's  companionship  was  present  not  infrequently; 
but  it  was  like  a  guerdon  among  the  realized  dreams,  the 
finished  labors,  the  success  and  honors  in  the  remote  future. 
He  certainly  was  not  in  the  present  either  noble  enough, 
or  sufficiently  provided  with  means  to  offer  her  a  home. 
Suddenly  in  the  midst  of  his  revery,  a  voice,  filled  with 
feeling,  awoke  the  echoes  of  the  caiion,  and  the  sweet 
melody  and  words  of  "  La  Ternura  "  were  borne  to  their 
ears,  now  swelling  into  volume,  now  dying  into  far  away 
strains.  The  notes  ringing  out  clearly  in  the  open,  would 
then  be  broken  by  a  rocky  barrier,  then  hidden  in  nooks 
and  crevices,  and  then  spring  forth  from  the  low  mono 
tone  of  nature's  symphony,  and  soar  skyward  in  plaintive 


PEDRO  CASTANOS'  DOG  287 

appeal.  As  they  turned  out  from  behind  a  little  promon 
tory  into  full  view  of  the  road  they  saw,  some  little  distance 
below,  a  horseman  riding  leisurely  along,  looking  up  at 
the  bright  band  of  blue  that  canopied  the  mountain  cause 
way,  and  throwing  his  whole  soul  into  song.  Catching 
sight  of  the  buggy  and  its  inmates,  he  abruptly  ended  the 
love-lorn  lay,  and  shouted  gayly: 

"  Qu'ay  amigos  mios,  buen  respeto!  How  glad  I  am  to 
meet  you.  I  needed  the  sight  of  friends  to  cheer  me  up; 
the  lonely  ride  was  making  me  sad." 

"  Welcome,  Pancho,"  said  Herman ;  "  I  wish  we  could 
have  remained  longer  hidden  from  you,  and  you  gone  on 
singing  in  your  sadness  that  beautiful  love  song.  The 
first  note,  I  knew  who  was  the  troubadour  and  for  whom 
was  the  sweet  lay;  and  how  did  you  leave  Carmelita  and 
her  mother  ?  " 

A  flush  came  to  Pancho's  face  and  a  passing  shade  of 
distress,  and  Herman  was  sorry  he  had  said  what  he  did. 

"  They  are  the  same  as  always,  quiet  and  contented  and 
working  when  they  can.  I  hope  that  you  will  soon  have 
good  news  for  them." 

"  Yes,  things  are  shaping  themselves  so  that  I  feel  very 
hopeful  of  regaining  their  property,  and  this  not  so  very 
far  in  the  future.  Have  you  brought  any  news  from  St. 
Agnes  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Brooks  and  Espinosa  are  in  town,  and  Pedro 
Castanos  called  upon  Brooks,  expecting  to  get  his  usual 
pilon.  Mr.  Sigismund  and  I  happened  to  be  standing  in 
the  hotel  nearby  when  they  met.  Don  Pedro  had  his  hair 
dyed  and  his  boots  polished  out  of  the  same  blacking  box; 
and  a  clean  shirt,  and  a  red  necktie  —  that  looked  like  a 
piece  of  the  red  tape  in  your  office  —  which  has  been  lying 
since  I  was  a  little  boy  in  the  window  of  Cohen's  store.  His 
moustache  had  the  ends  glued  out  so  as  to  look  like  the 
prongs  of  Mr.  Latour's  charcoal  tongs,  very  fierce.  And 
he  marched  up  to  Mr.  Brooks  with  a  big  mansanito  stick 
under  his  arm  and  a  long  yellow  cigar  between  his  fingers, — 
the  kind  old  Cohen  sells  six  for  two  bits, —  and  a  black 
mongrel  dog,  with  a  corkscrew  tail,  at  his  heels.  Mr. 
Sigismund  gave  me  a  little  punch  in  the  ribs  and  said, 
'  Don  Pedro  is  muy  bravo.  He  looks  like  a  cross  between 


288  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

a  Cochin  China  rooster  and  a  black  tom-cat.'  When  hfc 
was  about  a  yard  away  from  Mr.  Brooks,  he  took  off  his 
sombrero,  waved  it  in  the  air  and  made  a  low  bow  he 
had  copied  from  Major  Falcon.  His  stick  flew  out  back 
ward  and  rammed  Mr.  Latour  in  the  belly  as  he  came  along. 
'  Sacre  cochon"  said  Mr.  Latour,  and  gave  him  a  kick  in 
the  flanks  that  made  him  fly  back  like  a  bent  sapling  let 
loose. 

" '  Coma  va,  Pedro? '  said  Mr.  Brooks,  nodding  his  head 
politely  and  taking  out  his  watch  and  looking  at  it,  '  I 
suppose  you  are  in  good  health  as  usual,  and  I  should 
judge  from  your  looks,  doing  well/  " 

"  I  never  saw  Mr.  Brooks  more  polite  and  with  a  sweeter 
smile  on  his  face.  '  Si,  Senor  Abogado/  said  Pedro.  '  I 
am  well  enough,  and  I  can  say  the  same  for  you  from 
your  looks.  But  as  for  doing  well,  you  have  the  best  of 
me  there.'  '  Oh,  I  am  so  very  sorry  if  you  are  not  get 
ting  along  well/  said  Mr.  Brooks,  with  another  sweet 
smile.  'What's  the  matter?  Are  the  Gringo  gamblers  too 
smart  for  you,  or  have  the  paisanos  found  you  out  and 
won't  let  themselves  be  fleeced  any  longer  ?  '  '  No,  Senor,' 
said  Pedro,  'the  trouble  is  that  I  am  not  paid  as  I  should 
be  by  one  who  is  sharper  than  a  Gringo  gambler  —  a 
Gringo  lawyer.  The  last  time  you  were  here,  Senor,  you 
paid  no  attention  to  my  request  for  a  payment,  and  it  is 
a  very  long  time  since  I  have  received  anything  from  you.' 
Pedro  had  forgotten  all  about  Major  Falcon's  manners; 
he  had  dropped  his  cigar  and  had  drawn  his  sombrero 
down  over  his  eyes,  and  spoke  just  as  quietly  and  cooly 
as  Brooks.  His  black  dog  had  crept  up  a  little  in  front 
of  him  and  looked  up  into  his  face  as  if  he  knew  there 
was  something  wrong.  They  were  in  a  corner  of  the 
room  and  Sigismund  and  myself  were  the  only  ones  look 
ing  on.  Brooks  was  leaning  against  the  window  frame 
with  one  hand  in  his  pocket  and  with  the  other  playing 
with  his  gold  watch  chain.  '  I  may  or  I  may  not  be  as 
sharp  as  a  Gringo  gambler,  but  I'm  sharp  enough  not  to 
be  bled  any  more  by  a  cavallero  de  industria.  If  you  get 
any  money  from  me,  you'll  have  to  earn  it.  If  you  go  out 
to  the  ranch  and  work  as  a  vaquero  I'll  give  you  thirty 
dollars  a  month/  Pedro  rolled  a  cigaritto,  lit  it  and 


PEDRO  CASTANOS'  DOG  289 

•ent  out  a  puff  of  smoke  that  reached  and  curled  up  under 
Brooks'  nose. 

"  '  Sefior  Brooks/  he  said  at  last,  '  it  is  your  pleasure 
after  you  have  robbed  me  to  insult  me.  Whatever  I  am, 
gratias  a  dios,  I  do  not  come  from  the  raza  de  pescados 
from  which  you  were  spawned.  I  have  good  blood  in  my 
veins.  The  old  Castanos  earned  their  money  by  the  sword 
and  spent  it  like  gentlemen.  You  call  me  cavallero  de  in- 
dustria.  What  are  you  that  rob  people  of  their  homes 
by  your  wits?  You  think  that  I'm  a  worthless  Greaser 
and  have  served  your  purpose,  and  that  I  am  like  this  dog 
here,  you  can  kick  out  of  your  way.  But,  mira,  Seilor 
Brooks,  do  not  make  a  mistake;  a  cur  of  a  dog  has  teeth 
and  can  bite,'  and  looking  down  at  his  dog,  he  pointed  to 
Brooks'  hand  and  called  out,  '  Agarre  el  mano,  Sancho/ 
The  dog  sprang  upon  Brooks  and  shut  his  teeth  through  his 
hand.  Pedro  turned  and  walked  out  of  the  hotel,  while 
Brooks,  as  pale  as  a  sheet,  tried  to  shake  and  choke  the 
dog  off;  but  he  hung  fast  until  his  master  had  disappeared 
in  the  street  when  he  let  go  and  ran  after  him.  Mr.  Sig- 
ismund  did  not  think  of  helping  to  take  the  dog  off,  but 
as  soon  as  he  of  his  own  accord  let  go,  he  ran  up  to  Brooks, 
and  said,  '  That  was  a  very  vicious  cur,  I  hope  he  was  not 
mad.  Here,  Mr.  Latour,  some  turpentine  quick;  there  may 
be  blood  poisoning  or  lock-jaw/  When  Mr.  Latour  ap 
peared  with  the  turpentine,  Mr.  Sigismund  poured  it  into 
the  holes  made  by  the  dog,  and  ran  his  finger  wrapped 
in  a  napkin  he  had  grabbed  from  the  bar  in  and  out  the 
wounds,  and  Brooks  grit  his  teeth  and  wriggled  around 
like  a  coyote  with  his  paw  in  a  trap." 

Pancho  had  told  this  story  graphically  and  vividly  and 
with  keen  enjoyment  to  himself  and  his  hearers,  illustrat 
ing  it  and  mimicking  the  actors  with  his  arms  and  legs 
and  head;  his  horse  nodding  his  head,  moving  his  ears  and 
shaking  his  tail  in  sympathy. 

"  A  fine  story,  and  well  told,  Pancho,"  said  Herman ; 
"  and  all  this  is  for  our  benefit.  Mr.  Brooks  evidently 
thinks  that  there  is  no  longer  any  necessity  to  take  care 
of  his  fellow  conspirators,  that  they  can  do  him  no  harm. 
He  may  be  mistaken." 

"  Huh,"    exclaimed   the    Doctor,    "  Brooks    never    makes 


290  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

mistakes  when  it  comes  to  carrying  out  his  rascally  projects 
and  in  dealing  with  his  unconscionable  tools.  You  can 
rest  assured  he  has  some  hidden  scheme  by  which  he  in 
sures  himself  against  any  acts  of  these  men,,  or  else  he 
has  them  every  one  in  his  power,  which  I  doubt  is  the 
case,  unless  it  be  General  Peters  or  maybe  Espinosa,  whom 
he  has  not  yet  turned  on.  Brooks  knows  better  than  any 
one  whether  or  not  he  is  running  any  risks." 

"What  became  of  Sigismund  after  the  dog  episode?" 
enquired  Herman. 

"  He  dressed  Mr.  Brooks'  hand  almost  as  well  as  you 
could,  Doctor,  and  afterwards  I  saw  him  dining  with  him 
and  Manuel  Espinosa.  How  is  the  campaign  getting  along, 
Mr.  Thomas  ?  " 

"  I  can't  tell.  Everyone  speaks  nicely  to  me,  and  from 
their  wishing  me  success  always,  it  would  look  as  if  I  had 
easy  sailing;  but  the  Doctor  says  it  is  only  their  good  nature 
and  politeness;  that  they  do  the  same  with  the  other  fellow:" 

"  Well,  the  Doctor  is  right  as  to  a  good  many  of  our 
people,  but  the  most  of  us  are  loyal  to  a  friend,  and  when 
it  comes  to  voting  will  stand  by  him.  I  think  you  will 
have  a  big  vote  in  St.  Agnes,  but  you  have  some  enemies 
that  are  doing  ugly  work  aginst  you;  Missouri  Bill  and  the 
gamblers  secretly,  and  Scotty  and  Shorty  and  their  gang  of 
loafers  openly.  From  what  I  hear  from  the  worthless 
paisanos  that  sell  their  votes  every  year,  a  scheme  is 
being  gotten  up  by  the  gamblers,  and  it  looks  to  me  as  if 
Stanley  had  a  hand  in  it,  to  try  to  bleed  you  just  before 
election  day.  But,  win  or  lose,  Mr.  Thomas,  the  most 
of  our  people  will  always  be  your  friends.  They  haven't 
seen  anything  of  the  world,  but  they  can  tell  a  good  man 
and  one  that  has  a  good  heart.  Hasta  lluego,  cavalleros," 
and  he  rode  off. 

"  Thank  you  warmly,  Pancho,"  called  out  Herman;  "  and 
good  luck  to  you  in  everything." 

"  Adios,  muchacho/3  echoed  the  Doctor,  as  he  started  up 
the  horses. 

The  drive,  after  having  come  out  of  the  pass,  was  along 
the  coast,  across  numbers  of  barren  and  uninteresting 
ravines  and  barrancas  and  a  few  beautifully  wooded  and 
picturesque  canons,  the  haunts  of  game,  through  which 


PEDRO  CASTA^OS'  DOG  291 

flowed  a  stream  from  the  mountains,  in  those  days  alive 
with  trout.  In  each  of  these  was  a  ranch-house  near  the 
coast  highway,  where  our  campaigners  stopped  and  chatted 
a  few  moments,  and  the  support  of  the  voters  frankly  asked 
for  Herman  in  his  candidacy. 

The  travelers  had  timed  themselves  to  be  at  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  of  these  canon  ranches  a  little  before  the 
lunch  hour.  It  was  owned  by  three  young  men  from 
New  England  who  had  come  to  the  country  with  a  little  cap 
ital  which  they  invested  in  this  property  and  a  small  band 
of  cattle.  Young  then  they  were,  but  two  —  brothers  — 
are  old  men  now,  long  engaged  in  different  and  less  free  and 
independent  pursuits  in  other  fields;  and  one,  after  thirty 
years  of  struggle  and  devotion  to  duty,  at  the  end  burdened 
with  debt  and  prostrated  with  worry,  went  to  his  eternal 
rest  leaving  behind  him  the  love  of  wife  and  family  and 
the  affectionate  remembrance  of  loyal  friends,  among  whom 
is  the  chronicler  of  these  events.  Of  these  two  brothers, 
York,  one  was  of  the  fat  and  the  other  of  the  lean  kind. 
Both  were  jolly  companions,  but  the  one  with  the  abundance 
of  flesh,  in  words,  looks,  and  actions,  was  a  wag,  and  his 
comical  expression,  with  the  layers  on  his  cheek  and  chin 
that  undulated  in  sympathy  with  the  twinkle  in  his  eyes 
and  the  laugh  on  his  lips,  his  complaining  voice,  and  quaint 
humorous  conceits  were  irresistibly  mirth  provoking.  They 
found,  on  reaching  the  ranch-house,  the  Chinese  cook 
in  charge,  who  was  putting  the  finishing  touches  to  a 
game  stew,  the  fragrance  from  which  gave  a  keener  zest 
to  the  appetite  of  our  friends  than  the  finest  cocktail  mixed 
by  the  expert  of  the  St.  Louis  bar  could  have  created. 
To  their  inquiry  for  the  padrones  the  Chinaman  answered: 

"  Missel  Franklin  and  Missel  James  gone  St.  Agnes ; 
Missel  Tom,  he  makee  wine.  He  vely  good  makee  wine. 
Vely  fat.  You  catchee  him  wine  pless,"  pointing  up  the 
canon. 

They  walked  up  the  direction  indicated,  and  about  a 
hundred  yards  from  the  house,  in  a  bunch  of  trees  they 
came  suddenly  upon  the  wine  press  which  resembled 
a  great  ash-hopper.  When  it  first  met  their  eyes  they 
stopped  short  for  a  moment  startled.  It  had  the  appearance 
of  a  grotesque  living  monster.  In  its  crater  was  a  plunging, 


292  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

nude,  purple-dyed,  fat  being,  like  an  animate  gargoyle,  his 
knees  flying  up  and  down,  and  his  arms  gesticulating 
wildly,  while  a  great  swarm  of  bees  encircled  his  head  and 
shoulders.  Going  closer  they  discovered  that  it  was  only 
"  Missel  Tom  makee  wine."  They  gave  a  shout  to  their 
friend  of  the  fat  kine  in  the  hopper,  and  leaned  against  a 
tree  and  laughed  until  the  tears  came. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you're  laughing  at,"  whined  the 
wine  maker;  "it's  no  easy  work;  come  up  and  try  it  your 
selves.  It's  no  fun  either  making  a  bouquet  of  yourself 
for  a  swarm  of  bees.  I've  got  all  the  wine  out  of  these 
grapes  that  amounts  to  anything,  and  it's  dinner  time, 
so  I'll  come  down."  And  Mr.  Tom  York  emerged  like  a 
huge  dumpling  from  a  bowl  of  wine  sauce,  cautiously 
descended  and  stood  before  the  visitors  in  his  bathing 
trunks,  his  rounded  body  bathed  in  purple  juice  and  be 
spangled  with  grape  skins,  glistening  in  the  sunlight.  It 
needed  but  a  wreath  of  grape  leaves  to  make  him  a  reincar 
nation  of  Bacchus,  which  Herman  quickly  wove  and  crowned 
him  with,  and  he  and  the  Doctor  did  him  homage.  In 
return  he  offered  to  clasp  them  to  his  arms;  but  they 
dodged  his  embraces,  and  he  betook  himself  to  a  wash-tub 
under  a  neighboring  tree,  provided  for  his  ante-  and  post- 
grape-treading  bath.  Herman  felt  really  sorry  he  had 
witnessed  this  illustration  of  primitive  wine  making;  for 
"  treading  the  wine  press  "  had  been  a  beautiful  scriptural 
metaphor  which  from  childhood  had  poetic  place  in  his 
mind  with  kindred  ones  such  as  "  the  pitcher  is  broken 
at  the  well,"  and  "the  grasshopper  is  a  burden":  it  never 
could  have  the  same  ideality  now,  with  the  picture  before 
him  of  Tom  York  as  the  actor. 

The  game  stew  was  even  better  than  its  bouquet  portended 
and  there  was  more  than  enough  for  host  and  guests.  To 
make  perfect  its  relish  there  appeared  on  the  table  a 
bottle  of  the  ranch  wine  which  Mr.  York  begged  his 
friends  to  partake  of,  telling  them  it  had  a  real  pachula 
bouquet. 

"  Huh,  is  it  some  of  your  new  wine?  "  asked  the  Doctor. 

"  Who,  Doctor,  would  ever  think  of  prescribing  for  your 

veteran    gullet    anything    as    tame    as    unfermented    grape 

juice?     No  sir,  this  is  of  the  dry  year  vintage  of  '64,  when 


TOM  YORK  TREADING  THE  WIXE  PRESS 


PEDRO  CASTANOS'  DOG  293 

there  was  no  water  in  the  vines  and  it  came  forth  the 
pure  blood  of  raisins,  rich  and  fruity,  and  mellow,,  and  yet 
strong  enough  to  tickle  even  your  oxidized  palate  and  warm 
up  your  asbestos  lined  stomach." 

"  Not  so  bad/'  said  the  Doctor,  smacking  his  lips ;  "  not 
so  soft  and  delicately  flavored  as  the  Ruheplatz,  but  pretty 
fair  vino  del  pais." 

"  It  depends  on  a  man's  taste,"  said  Mr.  York ;  "  some 
people  prefer  a  mule  some  people  an  unadulterated  mus 
tang.  Give  me  the  mustang.  Ruheplatz  wine  is  a  hybrid; 
Spanish  grape  juice  grafted  on  French  lees,  while  this  is 
the  pure  wine  of  the  Mission  grape,  fortified  by  the  strength 
of  virgin  soil.  Ruheplatz  makes  the  stomach  glow  a  trifle, 
and  quickens  the  pulse  a  little,  but  the  rich  red  wine  before 
you  warms  you  through  and  through,  and  sends  the  blood 
coursing  gloriously  through  the  veins.  Ruheplatz  puts  you 
in  a  good  humor,  and  makes  you  sociable;  this  thrills  your 
soul  with  joy,  inspires  you  for  any  brilliant  performance 
or  wild  frolic." 

"  What  a  wonderful  effect  it  must  produce  on  you," 
said  the  Doctor,  "  when  you  take  it  both  as  a  draught  and 
a  lotion." 

As  soon  as  luncheon  was  over  the  travelers  bade  good- 
by  to  Mr.  York  and  left  him  to  a  well  merited  siesta  after 
his  morning  calisthenics.  They  made  as  good  time  as  they 
could  on  the  home  stretch  to  St.  Agnes,  and  arrived  at 
dusk.  Capt.  Seymour  and  Sigismund  were  awaiting  them  at 
the  St.  Louis  and  had  ordered  a  little  dinner  over  which 
they  exchanged  news  budgets  and  discussed  the  incidents 
of  the  campaign. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

A  DUEL  BETWEEN  A  GENERAL  AND  A  CHEF 

HERMAN'S  account  of  the  trip  across  the  mountains  afforded 
Capt.  Seymour  and  Sigismund  considerable  amusement. 
Sigismund  in  return  gave  his  version  of  the  Pedro-Brooks 
encounter,  with  many  embellishments  and  laughable  side- 
play.  He  said  that  the  only  visible  sign  it  left  with  Brooks 
was  his  bandaged  hand;  but  that  Pedro  was  very  ugly 
and  showed  his  spleen.  He  had  thrown  himself  in  his  way 
and  had  a  number  of  talks  with  him  about  his  connection 
with  Brooks,  Espinosa  and  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company;  and 
Pedro  in  his  wrath,  kept  fervent  with  aguardiente,  seemed 
to  lose  his  secretiveness  and  blurted  out  nearly  everything 
he  knew;  and  Sigismund  later  repeated  to  Herman  his  ad 
missions  and,  when  they  were  alone,  told  him  it  came  to 
light  that  Pedro  had  sold  all  his  stock  in  the  Company 
to  Walter  Stanley  at  ten  cents  on  the  dollar  of  its  face 
value,  which  Sigismund  declared,  was  the  shrewdest  thing 
he  had  ever  done,  and,  at  the  same  time,  showed  Stanley 
to  be  in  business  matters,  an  ass.  Probably  Brooks  had 
heard  of  this,  and  it  might  have  been  one  of  his  reasons 
for  dropping  him  suddenly. 

Sigismund  had  also  cultivated  the  companionship  of  Es 
pinosa  v/ho  had  been  in  town  several  days  and  had  him 
self  courted  Sigismund's  society,  and  talked  with  him  more 
frankly  than  he  did  to  anyone.  Sigismund  encouraged  his 
bitter  feeling  against  Brooks,  and  in  a  serious  manner  ad 
vised  him  to  plan  to  become  independent  of  him,  which  he 
believed  could  be  accomplished  without  any  self-sacrifice. 
Espinosa  himself  realized  that  it  was  only  a  question  of 
time  when  he  would  be  given  his  conge  by  Brooks,  if  not 
as  roughly,  equally  as  mercilessly  as  were  Peters  and  Pedro. 

"  I  know  only  too  well,  Mr.  Sigismund,"  he  said,  "  that 
if  I  do  not  escape  his  service  and  association,  I  shall  be 

294 


A  DUEL  295 

disgraced  and  ruined,  and  even  my  life  will  not  be  safe. 
As  it  is,  I  take  it  in  my  hands  every  time  I  go  to  the  rancho, 
with  that  wild  Indian  El  Erizo  on  my  trail.  I  keep  eter 
nally  falling  into  Brooks'  traps  and  making  myself  his 
scapegoat,  only  realizing  after  I  am  committed  that  he  has 
been  using  me  as  a  tool  and  a  shield.  He  has  sent  a  Texan 
border-ruffian  up  to  the  rancho,  for  the  evident  purpose  of 
doing  up  El  Erizo.  In  an  off-handed  way  he  had  me  em 
ploy  him  as  a  major-domo  and  give  him  charge  of  the 
rancho,  and  point  out  to  him  where  the  land  lay  claimed 
by  El  Erizo;  while  he  secretly  by  hints  and  innuendo  posted 
him  on  what  he  really  wanted.  Now,  if  any  trouble  or 
tragedy  results,  the  blame  will  be  thrown  on  me.  At  the 
same  time,  if  I  should  leave  him,  it  would  be  without  a  cent, 
and  I  would  forfeit  all  chance  of  turning  my  stock  to  ac 
count  or  profiting  by  my  interest  in  the  property  through 
familiarity  with  his  plans  and  operations;  and  besides,  he 
would  pursue  me  with  sneaking  slurs  upon  my  character 
for  truth  and  integrity  which,  together  with  the  odium  I 
now  possess  from  being  in  his  service,  would  damn  me 
in  any  other  enterprise  I  might  engage  in  or  employment 
I  might  seek." 

"  Were  I  in  your  place,"  remarked  Sigismund,  "  I  would 
make  stupendous  efforts  to  get  him  in  my  power  —  indeed 
I  believe  you  know  enough  now,  if  you  nerved  yourself  to 
use  it,  to  bluff  him  into  liberal  treament  —  and  if  I  failed  in 
this,  and  I  were  convinced  he  was,  on  his  part,  planning 
some  treachery  towards  me,  and  meant  to  make  me  his 
scapegoat,  I  would  weave  meshes  about  him  from  which 
he  could  not  escape  and  deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  those 
he  has  swindled,  and  who  believe  you  to  be  his  confederate." 

"  All  this  has  passed  through  my  own  mind,  and  some 
day  he  may  realize  that,  although  I  have  been  his  tool,  I 
am  something  more  than  his  dupe;  I  am  now  on  my  guard 
against  his  every  word  and  move,  and  have  gone  back 
to  my  old  apparent  subserviency  to  him;  and  cunning  and 
quick  as  he  is,  he'll  never  catch  me  unmasked.  Although 
he  has  never  spoken  a  word  about  it,  I  have  divined  what 
he  is  at  present  after  in  reference  to  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Rancho,  and  why  he  wants  particularly  now  to  get  El 
Erizo  out  of  the  way.  He  is  interesting  some  Eastern  pro- 


296  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

moters  in  organizing  a  heavily  capitalized  company  to  buy 
his  stock  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company  which  means  vir 
tually  the  entire  issue,  as  what  Stanley  and  I  hold,,  counts  as 
nothing,  and  there  are  a  hundred  ways  of  freezing  us  out; 
and  he,  devil  as  he  is,  will  make  it  a  condition  that  we  be 
frozen  out.  He  has  had  a  mining  engineer  of  reputation, 
working  incognito  as  a  prospector,  go  over  the  rancho, 
and  he  has  reported  valuable  oil  deposits  located  on  it, 
and  the  most  valuable  partly  upon  the  portion  claimed  by 
El  Erizo.  The  rancho  has,  as  everyone  knows,  a  large 
area  of  fine  agricultural  as  well  as  grazing  lands  and  is 
well  watered  and  accessible.  It  is  a  most  attractive  prop 
erty  to  promoters.  If  he  were  like  almost  any  other  hu 
man  being,  he  would  take  me  into  his  confidence  and  afford 
me  the  chance  to  win  something  at  no  cost  to  himself,  and 
he  knows  that  I  could  be  of  material  aid  to  him;  but  he 
would  rather  see  me  victimized  than  himself  gain  something 
through  any  efforts  of  mine  which  are  not  servilely  wrung 
out  of  me.  He  has  taken  his  office  work  away  from  me, 
I  know,  to  keep  me  from  watching  his  correspondence,  and 
has  just  recently  employed  an  automaton-like  English 
scrivener  who  does  his  clerical  work  like  a  machine,  seem 
ing  not  to  know  anything  about  it  or  think  anything 
about  it." 

Sigismund  remarked  that  it  seemed  strange  that  he  should 
&ave  taken  a  new  man  to  do  his  confidential  work,  thus  giv 
ing  opportunity  to  one  more  to  become  familiar  with  his 
operations  in  this  piece  of  business,  and  asked  where  he 
found  him. 

"It  does  appear  remarkable,"  said  Espinosa;  "but  he 
seems  always  to  know  what  he  is  about.  The  man  came  to 
him  seeking  a  place,  and  had  high  recommendations  from 
Latham's  Bank,  and  he  put  him  through  an  inquisition, 
sized  him  up  in  his  own  mind,  and  employed  him  within 
the  space  of  fifteen  minutes." 

"  Don  Manuel,"  said  Sigismund,  "  caro  amigo,  you  have, 
indeed,  a  satanic  personage  to  deal  with;  but  I  will  wager 
my  soul  that  if  you  keep  me  posted  on  his  movements,  giving 
me  exact  details  of  his  slightest  acts,  I  will  discount  him 
and  free  you  from  his  slavery  with  full  pockets.  There 
never  was  a  cold-blooded  scoundrel  of  Brooks'  type,  how- 


A  DUEL  297 

ever  able  and  cunning,  who  did  not  have  a  vulnerable  spot, 
and  with  him  it  is  not  in  his  heel,  but  in  his  head.  His 
blind  confidence  in  his  own  infallibility  will  lead  him  into 
a  pit  when  he  least  expects  it.  What  do  you  say?  Shall 
I  be  your  auxiliary,  your  comrade?  Yes?  Well,  here's 
my  hand,  and  you  may  shake  your  fist  at  Brooks  while  in 
Schiller's  words  you  can  say  to  me,  'Arm  und  arm  mit  dir 
fordre  ich  mein  J ahrhundredt  in  die  Scliranken.' ' 

Sigismund  in  entertaining  his  friends  at  dinner  with  his 
mimicry  of  Brooks,  Pedro  and  Espinosa,  did  not  disclose 
these  important  parts  of  his  interviews  with  the  disgruntled 
tools  of  Brooks,  but  imparted  them  to  Herman  later. 

While  this  party  of  four  were  enjoying  themselves  at  one 
table,  a  party  of  two  were  at  another  table  in  the  dining- 
room  :  General  Donaldson  and  a  stranger  —  a  round- 
headed,  dumpling-faced  man,  with  a  bald  head,  a  nervous, 
jerky  manner  and  a  loud  voice  with  a  stammer  in  it.  They 
seemed  to  be  having  as  much  amusement  as  our  four  friends 
in  their  way,  for  every  now  and  then  there  would  be  heard 
a  mirth-provoking  chuckle  from  the  General,  followed  by  a 
sibilant  sound,  like  the  last  gasp  of  an  exhausted  soda  sy 
phon  (his  constitutional  laugh),  and  a  great  guffaw  from  his 
guest.  The  notice  of  the  Doctor,  Capt.  Seymour  and  Her 
man  was  first  particularly  called  to  them  by  a  toss  of  the 
head  and  a  twinkle  in  the  eye  of  Sigismund,  when  they 
simultaneously  glanced  at  the  other  table. 

The  General  sat  upright  in  his  chair,  his  breast  a  couple 
of  feet  removed  from  the  table,  while  the  promontory  below 
was  braced  beneath  it.  With  one  hand  he  rested  his  fork 
upon  his  plate,  and  with  the  other  he  was  softly  stroking 
his  blonde  beard,  while  he  gazed  with  an  expression  of 
wonder  at  his  companion  opposite.  It  was  at  the  salad 
course,  and  this  gentleman  was  leaning  over  the  table,  his 
head  above  his  plate,  and  was  performing  the  most  mar 
vellous  feats  of  Chinese  juggling  with  a  steel  knife,  well 
sharpened  for  the  rotis,  loading  it  to  the  handle  with  potato 
salad  and  projecting  it  into  his  cavern-like  mouth;  with 
drawing  it,  reloading  and  discharging  it,  without  once 
marring  the  sides  of  the  gangway  with  a  slash.  The  Gen 
eral  turned  suddenly  and  caught  Sigismund's  eye,  who  in 
an  instant  raised  his  wine  and  bowed,  saying: 


298  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  General  Donaldson,  I  have  been  trying  to  catch  your 
eye  to  drink  your  health  and  ask  you  if  you  and  your  friend 
will  not  take  your  dessert  with  us  and  pledge  our  mutual 
friend,  Mr.  Thomas,  in  wishes  for  his  success." 

"  Certainly,  sir,  certainly,  sir.  It  would  afford  me  great 
pleasure,  when  my  friend  has  devoured  the  remainder  of 
his  salad,  of  which  he  is  very  fond."  It  was  evident,  from 
the  unsteadiness  in  the  General's  voice,  that  he  had  been 
indulging  in  the  cup  that  cheers  more  freely  than  was  his 
custom. 

"  Eh-he-he-he,  I'm  through,"  said  the  other,  scraping 
up  what  was  left  of  the  mayonnaise  dressing  with  his  knife 
and  drawing  it  out  between  his  lips,  shining,  as  if  from  an 
emery  cleaning  machine.  "  That's  as  nice  a  mess  of  tater 
salad  as  I've  put  into  me  since  I  left  the  plantation  in 
Kentucky." 

"  Gentlemen,"  resumed  the  General,  "  Mr.  Sigismund, 
Capt.  Seymour,  Mr.  Thomas,  Dr.  Vanderpool;  this  is  Mr. 
Billington,  a  gentleman  born  in  Virginia  and  bred  —  hem- 
hem  —  that  is  to  say,  raised  in  Kentucky,  in  the  part  where 
the  best  cob-smoked  hams  come  from.  Mr.  Billington  brings 
letters  to  me,  and  it  is  suggested  that  we  form  a  partnership 
in  the  practice  of  law.  Mr.  Billington  has  just  come  from 
San  Francisco  where  he  has  been  in  a  law  office,  supple 
menting  his  studies  begun  in  the  South  befo  the  wah," 
and  the  General  hoisted  himself  to  his  feet  and  he  and  his 
companion  joined  the  other  party. 

"  So  you,  like  the  General,  were  in  our  late  unpleasant 
ness,  Mr.  Billington,"  said  Herman. 

"  Eh-he-he-he,  yes  suh.  Went  to  the  wah  from  Uni 
versity  Virginia,  where  I  was  s-s-studying  bells,  letters  and 
law,  and  s-s-served  the  Confederacy  by  gittin  licked  in 
twenty-nine  battles." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  "  said  the  General.  "  Do  you 
wish  it  to  appear  that  the  Confederates  were  always  getting 
licked  ?  You  must  have  belonged  to  the  stragglers'  brigade. 
The  corps  I  was  with  never  got  whipped,  sir." 

"  Eh-he-he-he,  then  I  know  more  of  the  s-s-science  of  wah, 
General,  than  you  do.  I've  witnessed  enough  brilliant  re 
treats  to  have  qualified  me  to  command  the  army  of  the 
Potomac  in  the  early  part  of  the  wah.  I  never  was  a 


A  DUEL  209 

s-s-straggler,  suh,  especially  in  a  retreat,  and  there  wasn't 
a  man  in  our  regiment  could  make  a  year  of  con  or  a  s-s-sweet 
potato  go  further  than  me,  on  a  forced  march." 

"  And  more  rapidly  and  with  less  ceremony,,  I  have 
no  doubt/'  snapped  the  General,,  glancing  at  the  empty 
salad  plate  at  the  table  they  had  left.  "  Could  I  ask  you 
to  name  one  of  the  brilliant  retreats  you  refer  to,  where 
you  exercised  your  ability  to  subsist  without  inconvenience 
on  sweet  potatoes  ?  " 

"  Eh-he-he-he,  I  was  ahead  of  S-S-Sherman,  on  his 
parade  through  Georgia,  and  you  must  admit,  suh,  that 
it  was  a  most  effective  retreat.  It  required  all  the  quali 
fications  of  a  s-s-soldier  to  properly  hold  his  own  in  ad 
vance  of  the  Yankee  army.  A  man  had  to  be  s-s-stern, 
suh,  s-s-smothering  all  promptings  of  compassion.  I  was 
on  a  large  grey  mare  which  I  had  captured  with  gallantry 
from  two  niggahs,  and  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when  the 
s-s-sun  was  hot  enough  to  roast  a  s-s-sweet  potato  with 
out  any  fire,  I  overtook  a  man  on  foot  carrying  a  rifle 
who  s-s-seemed  to  be  about  played  out;  and  as  I  passed 
I  looked  back  at  him  and  s-saw  that  he  was  a  very  old  man, 
about  s-s-seventy  I  s-s-should  think,  with  white  hair  and 
beard,  and  the  image  of  my  grandfather.  My  first  gen 
erous  impulse  was  to  dismount  and  offer  my  hoss  to  this 
venerable  s-s-soldier,  but  the  words  of  the  French  hero 
came  to  my  mind  '  swavvy  quy  put/  and  instinctively  I 
steeled  my  heart  and  put." 

"  Very  commendably  prudent,"  said  Sigismund,  "  and 
displaying  the  true  genius  to  make  successful  a  retreat.  A 
much  safer  policy,  under  such  circumstances,  than  General 
Pope's,  of  whom  the  Irishman  said,  *  his  head  quarters  were 
in  the  saddle,  but  his  hind  quarters  were  never  there/  " 

"  I'm  a  simple-minded  and  ingenuous  man,  gentlemen," 
said  the  General,  "  and,  as  is  mostly  the  case  with  such 
characters,  I  am  blunt  and  outspoken,  and  I  somehow  find 
it  hard  to  attribute  insincerity  to  another,  but  I'm  d — d, 
Billington,  if  I  don't  think  you're  lying.  Gentlemen,  I  hate 
to  belittle  a  man  that  I  myself  have  introduced  to  you,  but 
what  that  man  has  been  rehearsing  to  you  as  facts  is  the 
purest  fabrication;  I  have  a  letter  from  a  brother  officer 
in  the  Confederate  army  who  writes  that  Billington  was  one 


300          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

of  the  pluckiest  and  least  complaining  about  short  rations 
of  any  soldier  in  his  regiment." 

"  Eh-he-he-he,  why  the  devil  s-s-should  I  complain  when 
I  could  confiscate  a  contraband  hoss  from  a  niggah  when 
I  wanted,  and  the  country  was  full  of  s-s-sweet  potatoes, 
my  favorite  ration  ?  " 

After  the  glass  of  the  General  had  been  filled  by  Sigis- 
mund  with  Burgundy  and  emptied  several  times,  he  brought 
his  plump  hand  down  with  a  thud  upon  the  table,  causing 
what  sounded  like  a  Swiss  bell-ringer  finale  from  the  china 
and  glass-ware,  and  in  accents  somewhat  thickened,  ex 
claimed,  "  Comrades,  no  artistically  garnished  feast  ever 
came  to  end  without  being  crowned  with  that  thing  of 
beauty  and  soul's  delight  —  what  was  really  the  goblet  of 
nectar  of  the  gods  —  a  bowl  of  punch.  You  will  have  this 
with  me,  and,  with  my  own  hands  that  have  let  loose  the 
fires  of  hell  on  many  a  field  of  battle,  I  will  light  with  less 
deadly  and  more  sweetly-scented  flames  its  billowy  bosom. 
Here,  Latour,  a  punch  —  the  one  the  secret  of  whose  deli 
cate  constitution  I  have  imparted  to  you.  Do  not  omit  the 
tea  or  the  soup£on  of  maraschino  or  the  toasted  banana." 

"  By  gollee,  Monsieur  General,  I  will  make  ze  punch 
as  you  have  teach  me,  but  I  tell  you  here,  dere  is  not  in 
ze  house  a  block  and  tackle  to  put  you  to  bed  when  you 
have  drone  it,"  and  Mr.  Latour  rotated  himself  through 
the  dining-room  door  before  the  General's  ire  could  shape 
itself  into  a  retort.  The  punch  in  due  time  appeared,  and 
the  General  sat  back  of  it,  a  beaming,  rotund  wizard,  and 
conjured  up  from  its  depths  the  shooting,  swaying,  dancing 
blue  tongues  of  flame,  and,  with  silent  incantation,  dropped 
into  its  fires  bits  of  spicy  and  fruity  condiments  that  would 
have  been  as  fatal  to  the  unhallowed  charms  of  a  witch's 
cauldron  as  the  aromatic  leaves  of  the  blue  gum  is  to  man's 
physical  torturer,  the  flea.  Insinuating,  enticing  and  se 
ducing  was  the  delicately  flavored  mixture,  and  its  contents 
soon  disappeared  —  the  General  the  best  patron  of  his  own 
inspired  brew  —  and  when  the  bottom  of  the  bowl  was 
reached,  his  companions  saw  that  he  was  rife  for  any  fight. 

"  Here,  here,  you  frog-eating  Cassius  —  you,  with  the  lean 
and  hungry  look  —  another  bowl  of  punch,  and  waste  no 
time,"  he  shouted ;  and  as  Monsieur  Latour  made  his  appear- 


A  DUEL  301 

ance,  and  stood  by  the  table,  glared  at  him  fiercely,  and 
continued,  "Do  you  not  see  that  this  bowl  is  empty ?  Any 
imbecile  of  a  French  gar9on  would  know  better  than  let 
an  empty  punch  bowl  sit  in  a  circle  of  bon  vivants. 
Don't  stand  there  like  a  bloated  wine-skin,  but  fill  that 
bowl,  or  I'll  have  you  triced  up  in  two  shakes  of  a  lizard's 
tail." 

The  others  shook  their  heads  significantly  at  the  land 
lord,  and  he,  planting  his  fists  on  either  side  of  his  broad 
pedestal,  and  meeting  the  General's  glare  with  one  as 
fierce,  said: 

"  By  gollee,  Monsieur  le  General,  if  you  are  drone  as  a 
cochon  you  have  no  right  to  insult  me,  and  you  cannot 
ordaire  me  about  like  one  of  your  negres.  You  vill  under 
stand  zat  I  am  general  here,  and  you  vill  not  tie  me  up; 
but  I  vill  put  you  in  one  box  stall  until  you  get  sobaire. 
Make  your  own  ponch." 

As  the  General  began  preparations  to  arise  and  face  his 
foe,  Sigismund  glanced  at  Latour  and  motioned  to  the  door, 
and  making  a  trumpet  of  his  hands,  sounded  the  French 
retreat.  Then  as  Latour,  taking  the  hint,  started  for  the 
door,  he  jumped  up,  seized  the  punch  ladle,  and  strenu 
ously  beating  time,  sang  with  an  inspiration  that  sent  the 
landlord  with  a  more  than  usual  lightning-like  squirm 
through  the  exit,  "  A  tu  vu  la  casquette-af  la  casquette-a,  a 
tu  vu  la  casquette  du  pere  Bougeot." 

As  Monsieur  Latour  disappeared  through  the  door,  the 
General  had  gotten  to  his  feet,  and  like  a  brave  soldier 
charged  face  front  at  the  portal  through  which  the  enemy 
had  disappeared.  Unfortunately  he  had  not  acquired  the 
gyrating  method  of  passage  which  afforded  a  ready  and 
safe  exit  to  his  foe,  and  the  impetus  of  his  fierce  charge 
sent  half  his  body  through  the  narrow  portal,  where  he  was 
arrested,  wedged  between  its  sides,  powerless  to  advance 
or  retreat.  And  there  he  remained,  kicking  out  behind  at 
imaginary  pursuers  and  with  eyes  flaming,  shaking  his  fists 
in  front  at  the  object  of  attack,  and  emitting  a  volley  of 
gentlemanly  but  forcible  oaths  that  would  have  themselves 
routed  the  kitchen  corps,  if  their  hurler  had  not  been  in 
a  strait-jacket. 

"Eh-he-he,  General,"  said  Mr.  Billington,  "the  French 


302  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

have  got  you  in  a  tighter  place  than  the  Yankees  ever 
squeezed  you  into,"  which  only  added  fuel  to  the  General's 
wrath.  While  Sigismund  and  Herman,  having  recovered 
from  their  convulsions,  tried  to  pacify  the  prisoner,  Dr. 
Vanderpool  was  exercising  his  skill  and  ingenuity  towards 
effecting  a  rescue.  He  ran  out  through  the  adjoining  room, 
procured  a  discarded  table  cloth,  made  a  bandage,  and 
worked  it,  with  the  assistance  of  Sigismund  on  the  other 
side,  one  side  at  a  time,  between  the  General  and  the  door 
jamb;  planted  a  pole  a  couple  of  feet  in  front,  crossed  the 
ends  of  the  bandage  around  the  pole,  made  a  tourniquet,  and 
gradually  compressed  the  abdomen  of  the  prisoner  until 
he  saw  it  would  run  clear  of  the  vice;  then  directed  Sigis 
mund  and  Herman  to  give  him  a  pull  backward,  while  he 
eased  up  the  line.  With  their  propulsion  the  General  shot 
backwards  and  fell  upon  his  rear  —  back  where  he  made 
his  attempted  sortie,  where  he  sat,  fuming  and  swearing, 
unable  to  arise.  With  considerable  difficulty  they  got  him 
to  his  feet,  and,  without  his  being  conscious  of  their  di 
rection,  piloted  him  out  into  the  street  to  the  door  of  a  build 
ing  of  which  the  upper  story  was  an  annex  to  the  St.  Louis, 
separated  by  an  alley  from  the  hotel  proper.  The  rooms 
opened  out  upon  a  porch  running  the  length  of  the  build 
ing.  At  the  end  where  the  stairway  ran  was  the  General's 
room,  and  the  next  to  it  had  been  assigned  to  Mr.  Billing- 
ton,  while  at  the  corner,  on  the  other  end  was  a  suite  oc 
cupied  by  Capt.  Fulton  and  Herman  who  had  abandoned 
his  corral  quarters.  It  was  an  undertaking  which  required 
the  combined  engineering  skill  of  Sigismund  and  Capt. 
Seymour  and  the  strength  of  the  whole  force  to  get  their 
charge  aloft  without  accident.  Ever  since  they  had  left 
the  scene  of  his  discomfiture  he  had  been  muttering  to  him 
self,  "  Foiled  by  a  Frenchman,  yes,  sir,  a  d — d  frog-eating 
chef,  and  I  commander  of  the  finest  drilled  brigade  in  the 
Confederate  Army.  Disgraced,  forever  disgraced  for  fail 
ing  to  break  his  menial  head.  A  measly  manufacturer  of 
entrees  and  souffles,  a  night-capped  cook.  I  would  be  the 
laughing  stock  of  my  fellow  officers  if  I  called  out  a  cook. 
No  sir,  my  mortification  must  be,  with  his  d — d  cooking, 
swallowed."  At  last  they  had  the  General  planted  in  his 
room  with  his  back  to  the  bed,  and  the  Doctor  and  Sigismund 


A  DUEL  303 

quickly  and  skilfully  divested  him  of  his  outer  clothing, 
when  he  appeared  in  a  suit  of  flaming  red  flannel  under 
clothes  which  visibly  and  grotesquely  augmented  his  propor 
tions  into  something  satanic.  Pushing  him  gently  back,  he 
sank  upon  the  bed,,  swung  over  full  length  upon  his  back, 
presenting  the  appearance  of  a  red  brick  bake-oven.  Then, 
for  the  first  time,  he  awoke  to  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
put  to  bed.  With  a  voice  filled  with  husky  indignation,  he 
said: 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  Another  insult  and  from  men 
who  claim  to  be  gentlemen !  How  dare  you  lead  me  to  my 
apartment  and  place  your  hands  upon  my  person?  I  have 
never  permitted  even  my  orderly  to  make  an  infant  of  me. 
I  resent  it,  and  I  shall  take  satisfaction  in  chastising  you." 
And  he  commenced  to  sway  his  body  from  side  to  side,  to 
gain  the  necessary  momentum  to  reverse  from  back  to 
belly  —  the  only  way  the  General,  once  prostrate  on  his 
back,  could  rise.  Our  friends  beat  an  instantaneous  retreat 
through  the  doorway,  down  the  stairs,  which  movement  re 
lieved  the  outraged  gentleman  from  the  obligations  to  vin 
dicate  his  honor,  and  he  hurled  after  them  in  a  tone  of  con 
tempt  the  epithet,  "  cowards !  "  They  waited  a  few  mo 
ments  in  the  street  opposite  the  warrior's  bivouac,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  there  issued  from  it  a  gurgling  sound  and  then  a 
series  of  snorts,  followed  by  rapid  ejaculations,  "Give  em 
hell  J  —  give  em  hell !  —  give  em  hell !  "  and  finally  a  pro 
longed  hissing  whistle,  which  repertoire  was  repeated  and 
re-repeated.  The  General  good-naturedly  informed  them 
afterwards  that  the  ejaculation  and  whistle  were  his  battle 
cry  to  his  men  on  a  charge. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN 

As  the  evening  was  still  young  when  the  General's  collapse 
occurred,  after  separating  from  the  Doctor,  who  went  to 
hunt  up  his  —  for  a  time  —  neglected  patients ;  and  Sigis- 
mund,  who  wished  to  have  a  business  talk  with  Brooks  and 
Espinosa  concerning  some  machinery  for  the  rancho  (Mr. 
Billington  having  retired  to  his  room  adj  oining  the  General's 
some  time  before),  Herman  suggested  to  Capt.  Seymour  that 
they  make  a  call  upon  Col.  Morgan  and  his  daughters.  The 
two  had  lit  their  pipes  and  were  strolling  aimlessly  toward 
the  beach.  It  was  one  of  those  nights  in  the  heavenly  sea 
son  twixt  summer's  wane  and  winter's  wakening  which  had 
wooed  and  won  to  cloistered  St.  Agnes  many  a  wanderer 
over  the  globe's  face  that  nowhere  else  had  found  such 
magic  loveliness,  such  witchery.  In  no  other  spot  are  the 
heavens  jeweled  with  such  brilliant  clusters  of  glittering 
gems,  and  the  ocean  breaks  on  no  other  strand  with  such 
a  calm  and  limpid  bosom  in  such  softened  tints,  with  such 
rhythmical  cadence,  in  breakers  so  gentle  of  snow-white 
foam ;  and  no  other  shore  curves  so  gracefully  and  is  broken 
so  picturesquely  with  outreaching  points  and  slopes  and 
bluffs,  and  feels  the  throbbing  of  another  beating  surf  across 
the  sea  from  isles  beyond,  idealized  by  filmy  veils  of  mist, 
that  rise  in  rambling  towering  shapes,  ramparts  of  the 
horizon.  Nor  can  they  find  a  valley  so  shaped  in  loveliness, 
nestling  so  sweetly  and  peacefully,  sheltered  by  such  fairy 
featured  mountain  barriers  which  night  casts  no  gloom 
upon,  but  simply  curtains  their  ever  carrying  lights  and 
shades  and  turns  them  to  queenly  sentinels,  shadow-draped, 
with  diadems  of  stars.  And  no  mountain's  breath  or  ocean's 
breeze,  in  any  other  blessed  clime,  has  the  balmy  sweetness, 
the  seductive  softness,  the  refreshing  spirit  that  lurks  in 
St.  Agnes'  autumn  sighs.  And  from  no  other  sky  or  sea, 

304 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN         305 

or  lake  or  cave,  or  glen  or  whispering  voices  of  nature's 
harmony,  can  be  invoked  a  spirit  of  romance  so  sweetly 
subtle,  so  winsomely  wooing,  so  soul  enchanting  as  wakes 
and  walks  when  day  has  fled  where  autumn  strews  its  golden 
leaves  on  this  dear  virgin's  shrine. 

Capt.  Seymour  did  not  answer  Herman  immediately,  but 
silently  puffed  away  at  his  pipe,  apparently  in  a  brown 
study.  Finally  he  said,  as  if  to  himself: 

"  I  fear  I  am  no  longer  persona  grata  at  the  Morgans. 
No,  I  should  not  say  that,  for  Miss  Martha  always  wel 
comes  me  sweetly  and  the  Colonel  seems  glad  to  see  me 
and  I  feel  he  likes  me;  but  Miss  Anna  really  turns  up  her 
nose  at  me.  Since  Stanley  with  his  drawing-room  manners 
and  society  talk  has  appeared  on  the  scene,  I  am  always 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that  she  regards  me  as  a 
boor.  And  there's  no  use  of  concealing  it  from  you, 
Thomas,  I  once  had  a  great  deal  of  enjoyment  in  her  so 
ciety;  we  seemed  congenial,  had  the  same  tastes  in  many 
things,  and  liked  the  same  diversions,  and  without  exactly 
being  jealous,  it  makes  me  ugly  to  see  that  fellow  come  in 
and  spoil  it  all,  and  I  am  ass  enough  to  show  it,  which 
only  makes  her  humiliate  me  more." 

"  O  Captain,"  said  Herman  lightly,  "  she  will  some  day 
appreciate  you  and  be  glad  of  your  company  more  than 
ever.  She  is  only  a  fickle,  impressionable  girl  now.  She 
has  absolutely  nothing  in  common  with  Stanley  and  she 
will  find  it  out  sooner  or  later." 

"  You  are  right.  There  could  not  be  anything  in  com 
mon  with  them,  for  she  is  a  good,  innocent,  child-like 
woman,  with  no  idea  of  evil,  and  he  is  a  thoroughly  bad 
man.  I  hope  to  God  it  will  not  be  too  late  when  she  dis 
covers  this.  Well,  I  will  go  with  you  and  try  not  say  or  do 
anything  that  will  invite  her  disdain." 

As  they  approached  the  house  the  walk  ran  under  the 
branches  of  a  row  of  tall  poplars  planted  by  a  pioneer  otter 
hunter  who  had  appeared  in  St.  Agnes  just  before  the 
Mexican  war,  and  became  a  dealer  in  hides,  having  through 
innate  tactfulness  and  courteous  good  nature,  popularized 
himself  with  the  natives  and  was  content  to  end  his  days 
with  them.  There  was  one  thing,  however,  he  must  have,  he 
said,  to  take  him  back  to  his  childhood  days  and  native 


*06     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

scenes,  and  that  was  the  music  of  the  rustling,  sighing, 
whispering  leaves  from  the  swaying  branches  of  those 
never  silent  trees  that  cast  their  shadows  about  his  old 
Eastern  home,  the  music  that  mingled  with  his  boy  dreams 
of  faraway  lands  and  unknown  seas.  The  autumn  had 
painted  their  foliage  in  lemon  tints,  and  there  was  a  golden 
bed  beneath,  through  which  Herman  drew  his  feet,  as  he 
loved  to  do  when  a  boy,  sending  them  swishing  along 
traceless  furrows  from  side  to  side.  When  they  had 
reached  a  tall  tree  at  the  end  of  the  walk  opposite  the 
house,  to  which  the  thick  foliage  still  clung,  they  stopped 
and  lingered,  as  the  tones  of  Martha's  rich  voice  came  out 
through  the  open  door  and  was  borne  in  plaintive  sweet 
ness  upon  the  air: 

"And  my  heart  is  drear  with  sighing, 

And  my  witched  thoughts  are  flying 
Far  away." 

It  sent  a  thrill  through  Herman's  heart  to  hear  that  voice, 
that  he  had  grown  to  think  had  more  sweetness  and  feeling 
in  it  than  any  he  had  ever  listened  to,  unbidden,  sing  his 
song,  and  sing  it  as  if  it  expressed  the  singer's  own  soul's 
longing;  and  in  the  shadow  of  the  shielding  poplar  he 
brushed  away  a  few  tears,  while  a  yearning  from  his  own 
heart  blended  with  the  longing  her  voice  poured  forth. 
And  among  the  whispering  leaves  above  them  a  sigh  from 
the  bosom  of  the  deserted  Captain  went  up  in  the  circling 
incense  from  his  faithful  pipe. 

As  the  last  stanza  died  away  they  crossed  the  street  and 
entered  the  grounds.  Col.  Morgan  was  seated  on  the  porch, 
his  spaniel  at  his  feet,  and  Anna  sat  beside  him  on  a  child's 
rocker,  gently  moving  back  and  forth  and  toying  with  the 
Colonel's  hand.  The  dog  got  up  lazily  and  went  to  meet 
them,  wagging  his  tail,  and  looked  up  into  the  Captain's 
face  and  kissed  his  hand  and  then  went  back  and  laid 
down.  They  were  warmly  welcomed  by  both,  Anna  greeting 
the  Captain  in  her  old  cordial  way,  which  made  his  face 
light  up  with  pleasure.  After  a  word  with  the  Colonel  and 
Anna,  Herman  stepped  into  the  parlor,  and  shook  hands 
with  Martha  who  had  just  arisen  from  her  place  at  the 
piano. 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN         307 

"  You  do  not  know/'  he  said,  his  self-consciousness  over 
come  by  the  sincerity  of  his  feeling,  "  how  touched  I  was 
to  hear  you,  the  night  of  my  return,  singing  the  ballad  I 
wrote  for  you,  and  it  was  with  so  much  pathos.  It  was 
a  sweeter  welcome  than  any  being  in  any  words  could  have 
given  me." 

"  Well,  strange  to  say,"  she  said,  with  a  smile,  "  I  was 
thinking  of  you  this  evening,  and  it  was  this  that  prompted 
the  song.  Do  you  believe  you  will  feel  very,  very  badly, 
should  you  be  defeated  in  what  you  are  now  aspiring  for?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Herman  laughingly,  but  with  a  little  flush 
to  his  face ;  "  but  why  do  you  ask  me  —  do  you  think  that 
this  is  to  be  the  outcome  ?  " 

"  Not  from  any  information  given  or  prediction  made  to 
me,  but  it  would  really  make  me  feel  badly,  if  you  should 
take  it  as  such  a  serious  blow  to  your  life's  ambitions  that 
it  would  distress  and  dishearten  you.  I  would  not  like  to 
see  you  grieve  over  it.  Frankly,  I  cannot  feel  sanguine 
of  your  success,  as  do  father  and  all  your  friends.  You 
seem  to  have  little  in  common  with  the  mass  of  voters  that 
control  the  destinies  of  political  aspirants,  and  I  am  fear 
ful  of  your  being  able  to  depend  upon  those  that  only  would 
support  you  from  party  reasons.  The  rougher  element 
seems  to  resent  refinement,  and  no  matter  how  good-hearted, 
kind  and  charitable  the  candidate  may  be,  if  he  displays  it, 
they  do  not  appreciate  and  do  not  like  him." 

"  I  do  not  know  but  you  are  right,"  said  Herman,  "  if  you 
mean  by  the  rougher  element,  the  ill-mannered,  uncivil, 
rowdy  loafers.  I  do  not  claim  anything  beyond  ordinary 
gentility;  but  I  know  they  do  not  like  me,  and  I  give  them 
cause,  for  it  is  hard  work  for  me  to  be  fairly  civil  to  them, 
and  I  shun  them.  But  with  the  decent  poorer  classes,  the 
laboring  men  and  trades-people,  I  am  perfectly  at  home,  and 
we  like  one  another,  and  I  have  many  true  friends  among 
them.  But,  really  I  regret  that  you  feel  in  this  way  about 
my  prospects,  for  from  sensitive,  sympathetic,  thoughtful 
friends,  truly  interested  in  one's  success,  impressions  like 
yours  are  often  prophetic." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry  I  said  what  I  did,  if  you  take  this 
view  of  my  foolish  words.  Indeed,  there  never  was  any 
thing  of  the  prophetic  in  my  impressions.  I  am  the  poorest 


308  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

of  oracles.  I  live  a  great  deal  within  myself  and  out  of 
the  world  and  am  constantly  taking  queer  notions  about 
things  that  rarely  materialize  in  fact.  I  did  not  want  to 
discourage  you,  and  you  must  have  the  determination  to  win 
or  you  will  fail  —  all  I  wished  and  what  I  now  want  to  im 
press  upon  you  is,  to  arm  yourself  to  bear,  without  dis 
couragement,  the  possible  contingency  of  defeat,  and  to  have 
heart  for  future  efforts  in  higher  aspirations." 

"  I  thank  you  very  much,"  replied  Herman,  with  feeling, 
"  your  words  will  do  me  good,  and  the  interest  you  show 
in  my  happiness  will  do  more  to  give  me  earnestness  in  the 
struggle  and  manliness  to  accept  failure,  without  regret, 
if  it  come,  than  any  philosophy  or  compensation.  If  I 
could  only  always  feel  that  your  sympathy  is  in  my  life's 
endeavors,  reverses  would  not  be  bitter  and  triumphs  would 
be  sweeter." 

"  Oh,  dear,  what  a  sweet-spoken,  complimentary  gentle 
man  you  are,"  said  Martha,  laughingly,  all  seriousness 
vanished;  "like  one  of  Walter  Scott's  or  Fenimore  Cooper's 
gallants  that  are  ever  saying  such  nice,  poetic  things  to 
lovely,  stately  dames;  but  we  had  better  go  out  and  join  the 
rest  of  the  family,  or  we  will  be  suspected  of  some  deep, 
dark  conspiracy." 

Herman  swallowed  his  chagrin  at  having  his  approach  to 
sentiment  so  wantonly  checked,  and  accompanied  Martha  to 
the  porch  where  Col.  Morgan  and  the  young  couple  were  en 
joying  the  charms  of  the  perfect  night.  The  Colonel  and 
Capt.  Seymour  were  talking  about  Southern  California 
and  the  County  of  St.  Agnes,  the  physical  aspect  of  the 
country,  its  resources  and  capabilities,  its  agricultural  and 
mineral  wealth,  its  water  sources  and  how  they  could  be 
utilized,  and  generally  its  development  and  future  greatness. 
The  Captain's  face  was  full  of  animation,  and  as  he  con 
versed  interestingly  about  the  things  he  had  made  a  study 
of,  and  displayed  his  wide  information  and  experience,  his 
whole  manner  was  changed  from  the  rollicking  jollity  he 
displayed  in  company  with  boon  companions  and  the  mock 
sentiment  and  jesting  which  he  indulged  in  with  the  fair 
sex,  and  the  intellectuality  and  serious  thought,  the  true 
characteristics  of  his  nature,  came  to  light.  Anna  sat  quietly, 
resting  her  arm  upon  her  father's  chair,  and  looked  at  the 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN         309 

young  engineer  intently,,  and  listened  attentively  to  his  dis 
course,  with  an  expression  of  appreciation,  mingled  with 
surprise  and  perplexity.  Capt.  Seymour's  predictions  as  to 
the  future  development  of  what  were  then  regarded  by  the 
outside  world  as  grazing  counties  with  no  independent  re 
sources,  have  long  since  come  true,  and  St.  Agnes  is  now 
the  garden  spot  he  foretold.  As  they  came  out,  the  Cap 
tain  got  up  and  paid  his  respects  to  Martha  and  offered 
her  his  chair ;  Anna  arose  at  the  same  time  and  stepped  into 
the  yard,  looked  up  at  the  sky,  and  then  around  at  the 
mountains  and  ocean,  taking  a  long  breath  of  the  balmy 
air. 

"  Do  not  let  us  interrupt  that  instructive  symposium,  Cap 
tain,  that  you  and  Papa  have  been  having,"  said  Martha; 
"  please  continue :  Mr.  Thomas  and  I  are  good  listeners,  and 
I  am  anxious  to  get  all  the  information  I  can  about  the 
country  that  is  to  be  our  home." 

"  I  fear  I  have  worn  out  the  patience  of  Miss  Anna  with 
my  prosy  talk,  indeed,  I  have  about  exhausted  my  subject," 
said  the  Captain ;  "  I  will  let  Mr.  Thomas  entertain  you  and 
the  Colonel  with  some  of  the  amusing  events  of  his  cam 
paigning,  and  I  will  ask  Miss  Anna  to  be  my  instructor  in 
flora-culture,  and  give  me  some  information  about  the 
flowers  which  are  her  pets  in  the  garden.  Mr.  Thomas 
and  I  hope  to  go  keeping  bachelors'  hall  very  soon  in  a 
little  place  near  here,  and  we  wish  to  lay  it  out  as  attract 
ively  as  bachelors  can.  Will  you  walk  about  with  me, 
Miss  Anna,  and  give  me  your  ideas  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  I'll  tell  you  what  flowers  I  love,  and  how  I 
like  them  grouped  and  the  way  the  beds  ought  to  be  laid  out 
to  suit  my  taste;  but  if  you  wish  to  know  the  botanical 
names  and  the  science  of  landscape  gardening,  you  must 
have  Martha  teach  you,  she  is  the  learned  one." 

"  Oh,  go  on,  you  goose,  and  show  the  Captain  wrhat  he 
wants,"  said  Martha;  "you  and  he  can  plan  a  bachelor's 
garden  that  will  be  pretty  and  sweet  and  bright  and  attract 
ive  to  the  young  lady  passers-by  a  great  deal  better  than 
I." 

So  they  strolled  off  together,  under  the  pepper's  feathery 
foliage,  out  among  the  flower  beds. 

"  Now,  Captain,  what  kind  of  flowers  do  you  think  should 


S10  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

go  in  a  bachelor's  garden;  have  you  any  sentiment  or  fancy 
about  them?"  asked  Anna. 

"  Well,  one  thing  should  figure  in  it,  that  is  the  language 
of  flowers." 

"  Why,  all  flowers  are  supposed  to  be  symbols  of  some 
sentiment/'  exclaimed  Anna;  "how  can  their  language 
figure  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  I  know  that  a  lexicon  has  been  constructed 
for  them  all;  but  the  old-fashioned  flowers  whose  language 
is  known  to  all  lovers  with  sentiment,  are  what  I  have 
reference  to.  Now,  I  would  like,  for  instance,  to  have  a 
bed  in  which  were  planted  the  emblems  of  beauty,  sweet 
ness,  gentleness,  innocence  and  merry-heartedness,  and 
another  of  lowliness,  devotion,  love  and  longing,  and  call 
the  first  Anna  and  the  second  Cecil." 

Anna  stopped  and  turned,  facing  the  Captain^  and  stamped 
her  little  foot,  and  said: 

"  Now,  Captain  Seymour,  if  you  say  any  more  of  these 
silly  things  to  me,  I  will  go  back  to  the  house  and  talk  to 
Papa,  who  is  full  of  fun,  but  doesn't  talk  nonsense.  It 
makes  me  very  angry,  because  it's  a  reflection  on  me,  pre 
suming  that  I  am  an  empty-headed  child.  It  is  all  the 
worse  that  you  can  converse  seriously  and  sensibly;  I  heard 
you  to-night,  and  what  you  said  interested  me." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  Anna,"  he  replied,  and  there 
was  an  expression  of  sadness  on  his  face ;  "  you  must  know 
that  I  am  the  last  one  in  the  world  to  treat  you  as  a  child, 
and  to  think  that  you  are  a  silly  one,  susceptible  to  fulsome 
flattery.  We  have  had  our  happy  moments  together,  and 
I  always  thought  you  could  detect  in  what  I  said  how  much 
was  playfulness  and  how  much  was  meant  in  sincerity.  This 
mock  grandiloquence  is  a  sort  of  enjoyable  acting  to  me, 
and  I  thought  you  so  understood  it,  and  that  you  always 
saw  the  real  feeling  hid  in  it.  Although  what  I  have  just 
said,  so  far  as  the  imagery  is  concerned,  was  in  the  way  of 
pleasantry,  I  painted  what  I  honestly  believe  to  be  your 
character,  and  in  the  other  picture,  what  I  believe  to  exist 
in  my  own  heart.  It  grieves  me  that  you  should  have 
grown  to  have  a  distaste  for  my  eccentric  and  awkward 
way  of  expressing  myself.  Heaven  knows,  I  am  no  con 
versationalist.  I  have  not  been  trained  for  social  conquests. 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN         311 

I  am  no  master  of  small  talk,  or  student  of  social  events,  and 
when  such  a  one  is  around  I  become  mute.  But,  Miss  Anna, 
I  can  think  and  feel  keenly  in  spite  of  my  silly  way  of 
talking,  and  I  can  be  more  devoted,  more  faithful,  more 
sincere  than  most  of  these  graduates  in  society's  accomplish 
ments.  I  will  try  very  hard  to  say  nothing  that  will  make 
you  dislike  my  company,  for  it  would  be  sad  to  me,  if  my 
companionship  should  be  shunned  by  you/' 

Anna  had  spied  and  picked  a  white  carnation  while  Cap 
tain  Seymour  was  speaking,  and  was  now  looking  at  it 
demurely,  and  now  inhaling  its  fragrance.  She  said  noth 
ing  for  a  moment;  then  turning,  placed  it  in  the  Captain's 
button-hole,  and  said: 

"  Now  be  good  and  sensible,  and  I  will  not  scold  you  any 
more.  Tell  me  seriously  how  much  of  a  garden  you  will 
have  and  your  own  ideas  generally  of  what  you  would 
like  it  to  be,  and  we  can  then  pick  out  the  plants." 

The  Captain  dropped  his  imagery,  and  the  two,  as  natu 
rally  as  naive  children,  went  about  the  fascinating  task. 
They  were  joined  after  a  while  by  Martha  and  Herman. 
Martha  said  her  father  was  tired  and  had  gone  to  his  room 
and  had  sent  his  excuses  to  the  landscape  gardeners,  and 
that  she  and  Mr.  Thomas  had  come  to  see  what  progress  had 
been  made  in  their  work. 

"  I  fear,  a  night  like  this,  that  the  Captain  has  delayed 
the  work  by  reciting  poetry,"  said  Herman.  "  How  many 
selections,  Miss  Anna,  has  he  given  you  from  the  Lady 
of  Lyons?" 

"  Not  a  line  has  he  quoted,"  replied  Anna ;  "  this  has 
been  purely  a  business  session,  and  we  have  gotten  along 
very  well  in  our  plans;  and  we  have  entered  into  an  agree 
ment  not  to  disclose  them  until  the  ground  is  staked  out,  when 
the  superior  learning  and  artistic  skill  of  you  and  Martha 
will  be  called  into  action  to  criticize  and  revise." 

"  As  for  myself,"  said  Herman,  "  I  am  willing  to  '  shut 
my  eyes  and  open  my  mouth '  and  receive  the  douceur  you 
prepare,  knowing  that  it  will  be  a  choice  one." 

The  evening's  work  of  Anna  and  the  Captain  was  de 
clared  at  an  end;  the  four  went  back  into  the  house,  and 
after  singing  some  of  Foster's  beautiful  negro  melodies, 
which  had  not  yet  been  pushed  into  the  background  by 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL' 

the  black-art  rag-time  music,  the  young  men  said  good  night, 
and  took  their  departure.  The  young  ladies  had  little  to  say 
to  each  other.  Anna  seemed  distrait,  and  Martha  looked 
at  her  thoughtfully  when  unobserved,  and  they  retired  soon 
afterwards.  In  spite  of  her  annoyance  at  Capt.  Seymour's 
half  jesting,  half  serious  suggestion  of  the  two  speaking 
flower  beds,  his  words  seemed  to  have  impressed  themselves 
on  her  memory,  and  they  persistently  thrust  themselves  in 
among  the  "  daily  food  "  in  her  little  book  of  evening  de 
votions,  and  as  she  closed  it  and  blew  out  the  wax  candle, 
which  was  one  the  old  Superior  of  the  Mission  had  blessed, 
she  repeated  them  to  herself,  "  beauty,  sweetness,  gentle 
ness, —  very  sweetly  said,  and  if  he  meant  it,  a  compliment 
I  should  be  proud  of.  Lowliness,  devotion,  love  and  long 
ing  —  he  has,  I  know,  little  self-conceit,  and  I  am  sure  from 
what  I  have  seen  in  his  loyalty  to  his  friends,  he  could  be 
very  devoted.  Love  and  longing  —  I  wonder  if  he  intended 
me  to  think  that  they  were  in  his  heart  for  me,  and  if  so,  I 
wonder  if  he  spoke  sincerely.  Well,  he  is  a  good,  true  friend 
and  anything  but  stupid,  as  I  have  learned  to-night.  If  he 
were  only  more  accomplished,  more  brilliant,  more  polished, 
and  more  a  man  of  the  world.  Walter  has  all  this,  and  he 
pays  many  nice,  delicate  compliments;  and  he  is  devoted, 
and  he  has  hinted  that  there  is  love  and  longing  with  him, 
and — "  Here  Anna  fell  asleep. 

Back  under  the  same  whispering  poplars,  through  the 
fallen  leaves  walked  the  Captain  and  Herman.  The  moon 
had  just  risen,  gliding  along  with  them,  glancing  at  them 
through  the  chinks  in  the  trellis-work  of  branches  and 
adding  its  queenly  brilliancy  to  the  glittering  galaxy  that 
lanterned  the  sky. 

Breaking  the  silence,  Herman  said,  "  I  must  congratulate 
you,  Captain,  on  Miss  Anna's  gracious  reception  of  you 
to-night,  and  I  trust  that  bachelor's  garden,  which  I  before 
did  not  realize  you  took  so  much  interest  in,  will  bring 
back  the  happy  association  of  the  ante-Stanley  days." 

"  Yes,  she  was  quite  her  old  self  with  me  to-night,  but 
it  was  only  after  she  had  put  up  the  bars  against  all 
approach  to  sentiment.  She  displayed  no  disdainful  feel 
ing  towards  me,  and  we  were  like  old  chums;  but,  Thomas, 
I  am  second  in  her  graces,  I  know  it,  and  it  saddens  me. 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  FLOWER  GARDEN         313 

Not  from  personal  pique,  though  it  is  natural  for  me  to  feel 
jealous  when  I  think  she  once  seemed  to  care  to  have  me 
with  her  in  preference  to  all  other  young  men,  and  we 
have  had  such  happy  times  together;  it  is  the  distress  at 
the  idea  of  her  giving  her  affection  to  that  villian  as  I  be 
lieve  him  to  be,  and  the  thought  of  the  effect  of  the  awaken 
ing  on  her  character  and  life." 

"  It  is  sad,  indeed,"  said  Herman,  "  and  you  are  not 
the  only  one  on  whom  the  sadness  rests.  Anna's  foolish 
fancy  is  bringing  dread  to  the  hearts  of  her  father  and 
sister;  but  I  have  faith  that  she  will  be  spared  a  shock 
greater  than  the  destruction  of  an  idol  that  has  not  yet 
won  her  complete  devotion.  I  feel  a  twinge  of  the  blues 
myself  this  evening.  This  campaigning,  with  all  its  in 
teresting  incidents,  is  really  distasteful  to  me,  and  to-night 
defeat  is  the  vision  that  comes  to  me.  I  wish  I  had  fol 
lowed  my  first  impressions  and  declined  the  candidacy." 

"  Well,  I  think  we  are  two  foolish  fellows,"  said  the 
Captain,  "  borrowing  trouble  in  this  way.  It  has  been 
my  experience  that  when  I  fretted  over  anything  dreadful 
in  the  future,  it  never  turned  up,  and  I  had  all  the  dis- 
agreeableness  for  nothing." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

EL    ERIZO    STAMPEDES    THE    COW-BOY 

THE  demands  of  the  campaign  for  the  next  week  kept 
Herman  in  St.  Agnes  and  its  environment.  There  was  to 
be  a  big  party  rally,  a  public  meeting  at  which  he  was 
billed  for  the  principal  speech,  and  the  precincts  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  had  to  be  canvassed.  The  Demo 
crats  had  already  held  their  principal  meeting  at  which 
Herman's  opponent  had  stated  the  reasons  why  the  people 
should  vote  for  him.  He  did  not  attempt  to  enlighten 
the  audience  on  the  principles,  accomplishments  and  aims 
of  his  party,  but  confined  himself  to  his  personal  candidacy, 
and  used  as  principal  argument,  that  he  had  a  large  young 
family  which  had  to  be  supported.  Herman  found  that  a 
great  deal  more  attention  was  paid  to  this  by  the  poorer 
classes  than  to  his  reply  to  the  effect  that  he  had  not 
been  able  to  make  enough  money  to  get  married  and  become 
possessed  of  a  family.  At  all  political  meetings  in  those 
days  addresses  were  made  in  both  the  English  and  Spanish 
languages.  The  Spanish-speaking  population  attended  al 
ways  in  force  and  applauded  enthusiastically  their  speak 
ers,  but  treated  the  speech  as  a  recitation  or  a  declamation, 
without  dreaming  of  its  being  an  appeal  by  which  they 
should  be  influenced  to  vote  for  any  particular  principle 
or  party.  These  orators  were  frequently  invited  from  Los 
Angeles  and  San  Francisco,  not  with  the  hope  that  their 
eloquence  would  change  a  vote,  but  by  way  of  courtesy 
and  as  a  tribute  of  recognition  and  consideration  to  the 
natives.  At  one  of  these  meetings,  Herman  was  surprised 
and  charmed  with  a  most  scholarly  address  delivered  in 
English  by  a  gentleman  who  had  previously  spoken  in 
Spanish.  It  displayed  a  study  and  comprehension  of  po 
litical  economy  and  statesmanship  expressed  in  the  choicest 
diction  that  astonished  him.  He  learned  that  the  speaker 

314 


EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  A  COW-BOY        315 

was  Ygnacio  Sepulveda,  a  native  Californian,  educated  in 
Boston,  and  who  had  been  with  Maximilian,  and  only 
escaped  sharing  his  fate  through  the  intercession  of  Sec 
retary  Seward,  with  the  sanction  of  President,  Lincoln. 
He  afterwards  was  on  the  bench  in  Southern  California, 
and  finally  made  his  home  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  Herman 
afterwards  grew  to  know  him  very  well,  and  remembered 
his  address  as  the  first  piece  of  finished  oratory  he  had 
listened  to  since  he  left  the  East. 

Besides  his  political  wrork,  Herman  had  professional 
matters  to  attend  to.  He  realized  that  he  must  take  steps 
to  tie  up  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho,  so  that  it  could  not  be 
conveyed  by  the  Company  to  an  innocent  purchaser.  From 
what  Sigismund  ascertained  from  Espinosa,  he  felt  that  he 
could  safely  postpone  action  until  after  the  election,  but 
he  wished  to  have  everything  in  readiness  to  strike  at  an 
instant's  warning.  Antonio  had  had  his  interview  with 
Brooks,  the  substance  of  which  he  reported  to  Herman, 
and  Brooks  had  given  him  to  understand  that,  unless  he 
paid  within  thirty  days  what  he  had  borrowed  on  his 
pledged  stock,  he  would  sell  it  in  satisfaction  of  his  debt. 
He  said  nothing  then  about  discontinuing  his  service  on 
the  rancho,  with  his  usual  prudence  waiting  until  he  had 
news  from  the  cow-boy  and  learned  what  had  occurred 
since  he  had  been  given  command.  He  was  not  long  in 
getting  news,  and  it  was  delivered  by  the  Texan  in  person 
a  few  days  later  and  before  Herman  had  resumed  his  country 
campaigning.  Brooks,  Espinosa,  Sigismund  and  Herman 
were  seated  on  the  front  porch  of  the  St.  Louis,  after 
dinner,  conversing  over  their  cigars,  when  the  cow-boy 
rode  up,  dismounted  and  stood  in  front  of  Brooks. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  said  Brooks,  in  his  soft  voice 
and  with  his  ominous  smile.  "What  brings  you  back?" 

"  Look  here,  Captain,  it  wasn't  a  square  deal  you  put 
up  on  me.  You  hired  me  to  git  away  with  one  greaser, 
and  there  aint  no  one  greaser  or  two  greasers  I  can't  git 
the  best  of,  and  I've  done  it  more  than  once;  and  there 
aint  no  double  team  of  Indians  ever  made  me  take  water; 
but  I  didn't  hire  myself  out  to  fight  a  tribe  of  Apaches 
single  handed." 

Brooks  and   Espinosa  got  up   at  once,  and  Brooks  told 


316  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the  cow-boy  to  tie  his  horse  and  come  to  his  room;  and 
the  three  went  off.  As  they  disappeared,  Finland  came  up 
with  Dr.  Vanderpool  and  both  seemed  highly  amused  over 
something  from  the  Doctor's  chuckling  and  Finland's 
hearty  laughter. 

"How  are  you,  Mr.  Finland?"  said  Herman.  "  You 
did  not  remain  very  long  over  the  mountains.  You  had 
some  pretty  rough  lines  to  run  and  I  hardly  expected  you  to 
get  through  so  soon.  You  and  your  chainman  must  be  like 
goats,  chaining  at  that  rate  through  such  a  country." 

Mr.  Finland  looked  at  Herman  with  his  good  eye  for 
a  moment,  then  switched  off  on  his  crooked  one,  and  said: 

"  Young  man,  I  would  like  to  give  you  some  lessons  in 
government  surveying,  as  practiced  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
before  you  try  any  big  land  case  where  lines  run  by  U.  S. 
deputy  surveyors  are  in  question.  Triangulation  is  close 
enough  in  a  rough  country,  and  it's  a  d — d  sight  quicker 
and  easier  than  chaining.  Isn't  that  so,  George  ?  "  to  his 
affidavit  man  who  had  just  slouched  up. 

"  I  guess  you're  right,"  he  responded,  "  though  it's 
mighty  little  chaining  I've  had  to  do  with  you  where  the 
country's  rough.  The  principle  job's  on  me  anyhow,  what 
ever  you  do  —  swearing  it  through." 

"  I  noticed  that  you  and  the  Doctor  were  enjoying  a 
laugh  over  something,"  said  Herman^  "  have  you  anything 
amusing  from  over  the  mountains  ?  " 

"Yes,  the  best  joke  of  the  season  on  Brooks  and  Es- 
pinosa,  that  will  make  the  smile  on  Brook's  face  sweeter 
than  any  hyena's  when  he  gets  the  details.  Old  Erizo 
has  put  his  desperado  to  ignominious  flight,  and  gave  him 
the  nearest  approach  to  a  scare  he  has  ever  had  in  his  life, 
and  the  whole  country  is  laughing  over  it." 

"  Is  that  so-o-o?  " 

Herman  turned  and  found  Howells  beside  him,  with  a 
comical  expression  on  his  face,  who  had  come  up  noiselessly 
behind  him. 

"  The  great  American  Le  Coq,"  cried  Sigismund,  "  why 
this  is  getting  really  interesting." 

"  Am    glad    to    see    you,    Mr.    Howells,"    said    Herman. 

"  Have  you  seen  anything  of  a  Pennsylvanian  drover  and 
a  Wells-Fargo  stage-robber  since  last  we  met  ?  " 


EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  A  COW-BOY        317 

"  Yes,  the  drover  disappeared  at  Pat  O'Neil's,  and  the 
stage-robber  with  a  pair  of  bracelets  on  him  was  a  fellow 
passenger  with  me  this  afternoon  on  the  stage.'* 

"  I  suggest/'  said  Sigismund,  "  that  we  five  jolly,  good 
fellows,  repair  to  our  friend  Hans  Hoefling's  quiet  resort, 
where  we  will  be  undisturbed,  and  laugh  as  merrily  as  we 
choose  at  the  triumph  of  El  Erizo  and  the  discomfiture 
of  Bully  Brooks." 

This  was  a  happy  suggestion,  and  they  betook  themselves 
to  Wienerhalle,  picking  up  Capt.  Seymour  who  was  strolling 
along  in  a  melancholy  mood,  with  his  pipe  as  sole  com 
panion.  Herman  and  Howells  lagged  behind  the  others 
and  discussed  the  situation  of  the  matters  in  which  they 
were  mutually  interested.  Howells  told  Herman  that  he 
had  little  or  nothing  to  report  concerning  Brooks'  opera 
tions  in  connection  with  El  Roblar  Viejo.  He  said  that 
it  might  take  a  long  time  to  secure  results;  that  he  was 
proceeding  very  slowly  and  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it 
impossible  for  Brooks  to  know  that  anyone  was  on  his 
trail,  and  said  that  Herman  need  have  no  uneasiness  about 
the  expense  incident  to  a  protracted  siege,  as  the  work 
was  done  in  connection  with  some  other  cases  where  parties 
interested  were  determined  to  find  proof  of  Brooks'  un 
mistakable  rascality  in  a  series  of  transactions  that  had  to 
be  brought  to  an  end.  He  said  he  wanted  Herman  to  go 
to  San  Francisco  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  election  and 
take  with  him  a  discreet  friend  who  knew  Brooks  and 
Espinosa  and  in  whom  he  had  absolute  confidence.  Her 
man  suggested  Sigismund,  telling  him  how  he  had  interested 
this  genius  in  the  case  and  at  the  same  time  withholding 
from  him  the  fact  of  his  (Howells')  connection  with  it. 
Howells  said  there  could  not  be  a  better  man  for  the  pur 
pose.  Herman  told  him  all  Sigismund  had  learned  from 
Espinosa  and  Pedro,  and  the  conclusion  he  had  come  to  to 
bring  suit  for  Antonio  to  set  aside  his  conveyance  to  El 
Roblar  Viejo  Company,  on  the  ground  of  fraud,  filing  a 
notice  of  pendency  of  action,  to  prevent  a  transfer  to 
innocent  parties.  He  said  that  he  would  not  touch  the 
Senora  Valenzuela  interest  until  every  means  had  been 
exhausted  to  procure  convincing  proof  of  the  forgery  of  the 
deed.  Howells  suggested  to  him  to  have  all  the  papers 


818  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

prepared,  ready  to  file  before  he  went  to  San  Francisco. 
Herman,  further,  brought  up  the  matter  of  the  claim  of 
General  Peters  against  Brooks.  He  said  that  appearing  as 
attorney  for  Peters  was  most  distasteful  to  him,  in  fact 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  get  out  of  it ;  besides  he 
believed  it  would  prejudice  both  Antonio's  case  and  that 
of  Seiiora  Valenzuela ;  that  he  thought  it  might  be  arranged 
to  have  Peters  represented  by  General  Donaldson  and  Bill- 
ington,  who  were  Southerners  and  it  would  be  easy  to  get 
Peters  to  give  the  claim  to  them  on  a  contingency, 
especially  if  he,  Herman,  agreed  to  afford  them  the  benefit 
of  his  information  and  indirect  aid.  Howells  thought  this 
an  excellent  idea.  He  then  told  Herman  that  he  was  to 
return  to  the  City  on  the  first  boat,  which  was  on  the  next 
day,  and  that  he  had  advised  Mrs.  Stanley  to  go  up  on  the 
following  steamer.  He  had  disclosed  to  her  certain  things 
in  connection  with  Walter's  conduct  that  made  it  very 
important  for  her  to  investigate  the  condition  of  her  securi 
ties. 

"  Stanley,"  he  said,  "  will  bear  a  great  deal  of  watch 
ing  from  his  mother  and  anyone  else  who  has  any  deal 
ings  with  him.  He  and  Brooks,  I  learn,  who  openly  do 
not  appear  to  know  each  other,  have  had  several  secret  in 
terviews.  He  is  the  kind  of  fellow  that  could  be  of 
service  to  Brooks  and  whom  he  could  handle  for  his  pur 
poses  without  putting  himself  in  his  power.  He  probably 
has  made  Stanley  believe  that  he  will  either  buy  or  make 
valuable  his  stock  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company,  bought 
of  Pedro." 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Herman,  "  I  wish  it  were  possible 
for  Antonio  Castanos  to  raise  the  amount  of  his  debt  to 
Brooks,  so  that  he  could  release  his  stock;  he  should  be  in 
position  to  make  a  tender  of  it  when  he  brings  suit  for 
cancellation  of  his  deed." 

"  Do  you  feel  pretty  well  assured  that  you  can  win 
the  suit  for  him?  " 

"I  do ;  though,  of  course,  you  know  better  than  most 
men  that  it  is  impossible  to  be  positively  sure  of  the  re 
sult  of  any  lawsuit.  He  owes  Brooks  $2500.00  and  there 
ought  to  be  a  further  fund  of,  say,  $500.00  upon  which  he 


EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  A  COW-BOY        319 

can  draw  for  actual  expenses;  attorney's  fees  would  be 
contingent." 

"If  he  will  agree,,  in  case  he  wins,  to  return  double  the 
amount  advanced,  I  will  get  you  the  money." 

"  Bravo,"  cried  Herman ;  "  this  I  feel  makes  the  victory 
sure." 

They  had  reached  the  Wienerhalle;  the  others  had  been 
there  some  time,  and  the  beer,  including  mugs  for  the 
loiterers,  had  been  served  by  the  worthy  Hans,  who  was 
in  a  most  sedate  and  peaceful  frame  of  mind,  and  the  most 
trying  chaffing  would  not  have  ruffled  a  feather  of  his 
serenity. 

"  What  infernal  deviltry  are  you  and  that  dreaded 
sleuth-hound  engaged  in,"  said  Sigismund  to  Herman, 
"  that  you  have  been  talking  secrets  together  so  long  ?  I 
hope  that  you  are  not  on  the  trail  of  any  member  of  this 
select  company.  Look  out,  Finland,  and  keep  your  affidavit 
man  hid  while  this  capturer  of  the  despoiler's  despoilers 
is  about. 

"  It  would  break  my  heart  to  have  anyone  of  such  a  fine 
bunch  of  boys  do  anything  so  naughty  as  to  require  my 
services.  But  you  can  set  your  minds  at  rest,  for  nothing 
up  to  date  has  been  reported  to  me  implicating  any  of  you 
gentlemen,  worse  than  the  fomenting  of  a  deadly  feud 
between  a  southern  brigadier  and  a  distinguished  chef; 
and  as  no  bloodshed  has  so  far  resulted,  and  the  per 
petrators  haven't  run  away,  I  am  not  in  it." 

"  Nor  ever  will  be,"  said  Capt.  Seymour,  "  for  the  next 
morning  I  saw  the  General  and  the  chef  together  sampling 
some  cognac  that  had  just  arrived  on  the  steamer,  con 
signed  to  the  St.  Louis." 

"  We  are  here,  gentlemen,"  said  Sigismund,  "  and  we 
are  all  on  the  qui  vive  with  excitement  to  listen  to  the 
recital  by  our  famed  civil  engineer,  Mr.  Finland,  who  is 
familiar  with  the  battleground  of  the  grand  engagement 
between  the  forces  of  the  warrior  Brooks  and  the  bush 
whacker  Olivera,  or  as  he  is  termed  by  his  paisanos,  El 
Erizo,  and  his  allies.  Mr.  Finland,  we  are  all  atten 
tion." 

Finland  cleared  his  throat  with  a  bumper  of  beer  and 


320  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

delivered  the  following  narrative  to  his  appreciative  audi 
ence,  of  which  Hans  had  constituted  himself  one,  standing 
bolt  upright  with  his  back  against  the  partition: 

"  As  probably  you  are  not  all  familiar  with  the  location 
of  the  land  in  dispute  between  Brooks  and  El  Erizo,  the 
scene  of  the  tragedy,  and  the  conditions  that  brought  about 
the  episode,  I  will  describe  the  locality  and  state  the  situa 
tion.  There  is  a  range  of  abrupt  hills,  thickly  covered 
with  scrub  oak  and  dense  undergrowth  and  peppered  with 
bowlders,  running  from  the  point  claimed  by  Brooks  to 
be  the  Piedra  Pintada,  and  curving  to  the  eastward  at 
a  sharp  angle  for  about  half  a  mile;  then  making  a  turn 
back  westward  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  and  con 
tinuing  south-west  to  a  point  almost  due  south  from  the 
Piedra  Pintada,  and  from  there  continuing  on  eastward,  the 
undisputed  boundary  line  between  the  properties.  The 
land  in  dispute  lies  between  the  crest  of  this  range  of  hills 
and  a  direct  line  running  from  the  Piedra  Pintada  to  the 
point  mentioned  due  south  from  it.  The  springs  lie  in 
the  bite  of  the  loop  at  the  foot  of  the  bordering  precipitous 
bluff.  These  springs  have  always  been  the  watering  place 
of  the  cattle  of  the  eastern  range  of  El  Erizo's  rancho. 
As  Dr.  Vanderpool  and  Mr.  Thomas  know,  El  Erizo's 
cattle  have  the  peculiar  gift  of  reaching  water  and  their 
noon-day  siesta  through  any  fence  constructed  at  the  in 
stance  of  Brooks.  Well,  the  next  day  after  the  Texan  sent 
out  by  Brooks  had  taken  in  the  condition  of  things,  two 
of  El  Erizo's  mustang  steers  were  found  dead  at  the 
springs  with  bullet  holes  through  their  carcasses.  They 
were  found  by  Antonio's  vaquero,  who  reported  the  fact, 
under  the  grim  orders  of  the  Texan,  to  El  Erizo.  The 
owner  seemed  to  bear  the  loss  with  equanimity,  skinning 
the  animals  and  hauling  off  the  meat  and  the  hides  on 
his  ox-cart.  The  next  morning  the  vaquero  brought  the 
news  to  the  Texan  that  four  fine  bred  steers  of  El  Roblar 
Vie  jo  Company  had  been  shot  and  killed,  just  within  the 
borders  of  the  El  Roblar  Viejo  Extension.  The  Texan 
swore,  grabbed  his  rifle,  saddled  his  horse  and  went  to 
view  the  remains  with  the  vaquero.  They  followed  El 
Erizo's  example  and  prepared  the  animals  for  jerkie. 
When  the  hour  arrived  for  El  Erizo's  cattle  to  patronize 


EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  A  COW-BOY        321 

their  watering  place,  the  Texan  rode  over  with  his  rifle 
and  took  up  a  position  close  to  the  springs,  and  had  only  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  to  wait  until  two  or  three  of  the  beasts 
came  strolling  leisurely  along.  As  soon  as  the  first  had 
crossed  the  fictitious  boundary  line  and  got  within  easy 
range,  the  Texan  raised  his  rifle,  when  a  shot  rang  out  from 
another  rifle  and  a  bullet  whizzed  by  his  head.  Turning 
quickly  in  the  direction  of  the  report  which  came  from 
the  end  of  the  loop,  he  saw  a  curl  of  smoke  floating  up 
from  beside  a  bowlder,  at  which  he  took  instant  aim  and 
fired;  then  there  was  another  shot  and  another  bullet  grazed 
the  back  of  his  head.  He  wheeled  and  fired  at  the  spot 
where  the  last  shot  came  from,  when  another  from  a  point 
opposite  knocked  off  his  sombrero.  This  settled  the 
question.  He  got  oiF  his  horse,  picked  up  his  hat  and 
minutely  surveyed  the  surroundings.  Not  a  human  being 
was  in  sight  and  not  a  disturbance  was  seen  or  an  un 
usual  sound  heard  in  the  brush  on  the  hillsides.  He  got 
on  his  horse,  shook  his  fist  at  the  coverts  of  the  ambus- 
caders,  rode  back  to  where  he  had  left  the  vaquero  and 
told  him  he  had  concluded  he  didn't  like  the  country  and 
was  going  to  throw  up  his  job;  and  the  next  day,  which 
was  to-day,  he  '  vamosed  the  ranch/  " 

"  Bravo!  bravo!  Viva  El  Erizo  and  his  band  of  sharp 
shooters,"  cried  Sigismund.  "  It  was  well  for  the  cow-boy 
that  he  was  not  the  bearer  of  a  certain  sweet  smile  and 
branded  with  a  white  stripe  across  his  head,  or  the  first 
bullet  would  have  cancelled  forever  that  brilliant  smile, 
and  turned  to  sanguinary  ensign  that  unnatural  band  of 
white.'* 

Hans  Hoefling  had  darted  from  his  sentinel  post  and 
gathered  up  with  a  juggler's  dexterity  the  empty  beer 
glasses  and  disappeared  into  the  adjoining  room,  where 
the  mysterious  noises  incident  to  the  breaking  of  a  fresh 
keg  were  heard.  He  returned  with  the  tankards  foaming 
from  the  fresh  tap,  distributed  them  among  the  party,  re 
taining  one  himself  which  he  lifted  in  the  air  with  an  up 
right  jerk,  and  sweeping  the  company  with  a  commanding 
glance,  exclaimed,  "  Gentlemen,  we  drink  Gesundheit  to 
El  Erizo  and  his  Schutezenfest.  It  is  a  shmart  Indian  that 
can  get  away  mit  a  lawyer  cow-puncher."  And  Hans  went 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

back  to  his  accustomed  seat  by  his  beer  kegs  and  his 
journal  of  antiquated  news. 

"  Brooks  finding  out  that  he's  not  a  success  as  a  land 
jumper  will  now  make  it  hot  for  the  old  man  in  the  courts, 
where  he  can  have  his  turn  at  an  ambuscade/'  said  Mr. 
Howells. 

"  I'm  inclined  to  think/'  said  Herman,  "  that  he  will  not 
find  it  as  easy  a  task  as  he  imagines  to  grab  El  Erizo's 
land  by  process  of  law,  though  he  has  the  inside  track. 
The  old  fellow  has  maintained  nine-tenths  of  the  law, 
and  has  forced  the  enemy  to  the  proof  of  his  title."  • 

After  a  chat  over  the  "  ways  that  are  dark "  and  the 
"  tricks  that  are  vain  "  of  Brooks,  followed  by  a  discussion 
of  campaign  matters,  the  company  broke  up  at  an  early 
hour.  Howells  asked  Herman  to  go  up  to  the  court  house 
with  him.  He  said,  as  they  walked  along,  that  he  felt 
uneasy  about  his  prisoner;  the  Sheriff  had  not  returned  and 
though  he  had  given  Billy,  the  jailer,  a  bonus  to  stand 
guard  during  the  night  and  had  seen  that  there  was  nothing 
left  on  the  prisoner's  person  or  about  the  jail  which  could 
be  used  as  a  means  of  escape,  he  feared  the  jailer's  stupid 
ity  and  torpidity,  and  wouldn't  trust  him  to  keep  awake. 
They  had  gone  only  a  short  distance  along  Nigger  Alley, 
when  the  detective  suddenly  whispered  in  Herman's  ear 
"  quiet,"  and  drew  him  into  the  deep  doorway  of  the  justice's 
court,  where  they  were  hidden  from  view.  In  a  couple 
of  minutes  two  persons  went  by  on  the  other  side  of  the 
street,  conversing  in  low  tones,  and  Herman  caught  the 
words,  "  a  d — d  slick  job." 

Howells  told  Herman  to  follow  them  stealthily  until  they 
came  out  into  the  light  by  the  Wienerhalle  where  he  could 
see  and  identify  them  positively,  and  then  to  come  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  the  court  house,  if  he  wished  to  see 
some  fun.  Saying  which  he  ran  like  a  deer  in  that  di 
rection.  Herman  obeyed  instructions  and  recognized  the 
couple  as  the  Texan  cow-boy  and  the  gambler  Buckley. 
He  then  ran  after  the  detective  and  reached  the  court 
house  not  many  minutes  later.  He  found  Howells  and  the 
jailer  standing  by  the  rear  wall  of  the  jail,  and  the  latter 
bent  over,  his  ear  planted  against  it.  As  Herman  came  up 
he  rose  up  and  whispered  to  the  detective: 


EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  A  COW-BOY        323 

"  I  guess  you're  right,  Mr.  Howells,  there  is  some  punch 
ing  in  the  wall  going  on  inside." 

"  Yes,  and  that  tool  he  is  working  with  was  passed  into 
him  right  under  your  nose.  Now,  who  was  here  to-night?" 

"  The  only  one  I've  seen  to-night,  was  a  tall  fellow  with 
a  black  moustache,  who  looked  like  a  cow-boy.  He  came 
and  stood  at  the  court  house  door,  and  asked  me  what  build 
ing  it  was,  and  then  wanted  a  light  for  his  pipe.  After  he 
got  his  light  he  wanted  to  know  if  the  Sheriff  was  around, 
and  I  told  him  he  wasn't.  He  then  said  he  would  leave 
a  note  for  him  and  he  asked  me  for  a  piece  of  paper, 
and  I  took  him  into  the  Sheriff's  office  and  gave  him  his 
paper;  and  while  he  was  writing,  I  went  outside  and  took 
a  look  into  the  jail,  and  everything  was  quiet,  and  I 
stayed  there;  and  the  man  came  out  and  gave  me  the  note, 
and  went  off,  and  you  found  me  where  I  was  when  he 
left." 

"  Yes,  and  you  infernal  idiot,  his  pal  passed  the  prisoner 
some  tool  to  dig  out  with,  while  you  were  in  the  office. 
You  come  now  and  open  the  jail  door;  and  if  he  brains 
you,  there  will  be  one  jackass  less  in  the  world." 

They  went  around  to  the  front  of  the  court  house  to 
the  Sheriff's  office. 

"Now,"  said  Howells  to  the  jailer,  "if  you  want  to 
save  your  own  neck  and  Mr.  Miller  from  paying  a  round 
sum  in  damages  for  letting  a  prisoner  escape,  you  do  ex 
actly  what  I  tell  you.  Go  to  the  front  of  the  jail  and 
call  the  man  and  tell  him  two  friends  want  to  see  him, 
and  ask  if  you  should  let  them  in.  When  he  asks  their 
names,  say  Buckley  and  Texan  Joe.  Then  come  back 
and  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do  next." 

After  doing  as  bid,  and  receiving  a  gruff  direction  to  "  let 
em  in,"  he  came  back  and  awaited  further  orders.  The 
detective  drew  from  his  pockets  a  pair  of  hand-cuffs  and 
a  piece  of  rope,  and  handing  them  to  the  jailer,  said, 
"  Unlock  the  door  and  throw  it  wide  open  and  follow  me 
into  the  jail-room,  and  when  I  tell  you,  clap  the  brace 
lets  on  his  wrists,  and  tie  his  legs." 

The  jailer  threw  open  the  door  and  the  detective  leaped 
into  the  room,  flashed  his  bull's-eye  on  the  prisoner,  and 
covered  him  with  his  revolver. 


524  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL' 

"  You  needn't  reach  for  that  bar,  but  get  up  quick,  and 
turn  your  back  or  111  bore  a  hole  through  you  before  you 
can  play  any  monkey  business." 

The  man  gave  him  a  sullen  look,  and  then  got  up  and 
turned  his  back. 

"  Put  your  hands  behind  you,"  commanded  Howells. 
"  Now,  put  on  the  bracelets,  Billy, —  now  throw  him  down 
and  tie  his  legs,  so  that  he  can't  move;  if  it  cuts  into 
the  flesh  a  little  it  don't  make  any  difference,  he'll  have 
time  to  nurse  them  in  San  Quentin." 

Billy  quickly  and  efficaciously  accomplished  the  job, 
which  was  an  easy  one  to  the  ex-stevedore. 

"  Neatly  done,  Billy ;  now  lay  him  on  his  back  or  his 
belly  —  which  ever  he  wishes  —  on  his  luxurious  couch,  and 
lock  the  door  and  leave  him  to  what  will  be  for  the  rest 
of  the  night  his  undisturbed  slumbers.  There,  Jim;"  ad 
dressing  himself  to  the  prisoner,  "  pleasant  dreams.  I 
shall  tell  Buckley  and  Texan  Joe  that  you  owe  to  them 
being  put  in  a  strait-jacket.  I  was  treating  you  like  a 
gentlemen;  it  isn't  my  way  to  be  hard  on  a  man  in  trouble, 
and  you  are  a  darned  fool  to  let  them  put  you  up  to  this 
game  on  me,  especially  when  you  know  I'd  have  you  some 
day  or  other."  He  pocketed  his  revolver  and  told  Herman 
that  the  entertainment  was  over  and  they  might  return  to 
the  gayer  part  of  town. 

"But  I  forgot,  Billy;  let's  see  what  Texan  Joe  has  to 
say  to  the  Sheriff;  let's  have  his  note."  He  opened  the 
epistle  and  read,  "  Dear  Sherf,  if  you  ever  want  to  git  rid  of 
your  fat  jailer,  I'd  like  the  job;  jest  write  to  El  Paso, 
and  I'll  come  right  up.  Your  friend,  Texan  Joe." 
"  There,  Billy,  look  out  for  your  job.  If  I  report  what 
happened  to-night,  Mr.  Miller  might  send  for  Joe." 

Herman,  upon  witnessing  this  scene,  understood  better 
than  before  the  secret  of  the  power  of  characters  like 
Howells'  to  awe  and  subdue  men.  There  seemed  to  be, 
when  aroused  to  action,  something  akin  to  a  lightning 
flash  in  his  eye  and  a  command  in  his  voice  that  compelled 
obedience;  and  a  magnetic  force  in  his  movements  that 
overpowered  all  opposition,  a  force  and  fire  that  consumed 
fear  and  made  danger  an  unknown  quantity.  It  was 
strange  to  him  that  this  force  should  accompany  the  acute 


EL  ERIZO  STAMPEDES  A  COW-BOY        325 

perception,  shrewdness  and  tact,  the  qualities  of  a  talented 
detective.  When  the  two  reached  the  St.  Louis,  Brooks 
and  Espinosa  were  seated  at  the  end  of  the  porch,  out  of 
hearing  of  the  hotel  loungers,  engaged  in  conversation. 
Howells  strode  up  to  them,  and  addressing  Brooks,  said: 

"  Mr.  Brooks,  you  have  in  your  employ  an  unsavory 
fellow  who  goes  by  the  name  of  Texan  Joe.  I  wish  to 
advise  you  to  ship  this  party  back  to  where  he  came  from, 
if  you  care  to  avoid  being  called  into  court  to  account  for 
his  presence  here.  He  was  to-night  party  to  an  attempt  to 
rescue  a  stage-robber,  who  is  detained  in  the  jail  as  my 
prisoner,  and  if  he  is  not  deported  I  shall  have  him  ar 
rested." 

"  No  such  man  is  in  my  employ,"  said  Brooks  coldly, 
"  I  am  in  no  ways  accountable  for  his  character  or  con 
duct." 

"  You  may  have  discharged  him,  but  he  was  brought 
here  by  you.  But  this  is  neither  here  nor  there,  I  simply 
give  the  hint;  you  can  pay  attention  to  it  or  not,  as  you 
please.  Come,  Mr.  Thomas,  we  will  walk  over  to  the 
American  Hotel  and  see  what  there  is  of  excitement  there." 

When  they  entered  the  bar-room,  the  first  person  they 
encountered  was  Buckley,  who  had  just  come  from  a  card 
room,  and  stood  with  his  cane  under  his  arm,  and  a  cigar 
in  his  mouth,  watching  a  game  of  billiards.  Howells 
took  him  to  one  side,  at  the  same  time  motioning  to  Herman 
to  draw  near.  Then  looking  him  in  the  eye,  with  a  glance 
that  seemed  to  transfix  him,  said,  "A  d — d  slick  job 
was  it?  So  you  told  your  partner  Texan  Joe  after  you 
had  smuggled  that  bar  in  to  my  prisoner.  Now  it  wasn't 
so  slick  as  you  thought,  Mr.  Buckley." 

Buckley  took  his  cigar  from  his  mouth,  emitted  some 
artistically  formed  rings  of  smoke,  and  cooly  returning  the 
detective's  glance,  said: 

"  I  guess  you  have  struck  the  wrong  man,  Mr., —  I 
have  forgotten  your  name, —  or  else  you  have  mixed  your 
drinks  more  than's  good  for  your  senses.  I  don't  know 
what  you're  trying  to  get  at." 

"  Now,  Buckley,  you  ought  to  understand  by  this  time 
that  when  you  trifle  with  me,  you're  playing  with  powder. 
If  you  don't  know  it,  let  me  tell  you  that  you  are  pow  at 


326  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

large  by  sufferance,  and  if  I  wanted  to  I  could  clap  the 
bracelets  on  you  right  here  and  ship  you  to  San  Francisco, 
to  clear  your  skirts,  if  you  can,  of  being  one  of  the  gang 
that  fleeced  the  miners  at  the  What  Cheer  House;  and 
the  next  piece  of  rascality  I  catch  you  in,  I'll  do  it.  I 
have  positive  proof  that  you  and  Texan  Joe  put  up  the 
job  to-night  to  release  Jim  Josleyn,  the  stage  robber, 
and  passed  to  him  an  iron  bar  to  dig  himself  out  with. 
Both  Mr.  Thomas  and  I  saw  you  and  Joe  and  identified 
you  as  you  came  from  the  jail,  and  you  needn't  attempt 
any  bluff  on  me.  Since  your  game  was  a  dead  failure, 
I  have  concluded  to  let  you  off  for  the  present;  but  the 
next  time  you  cross  my  path,  you  will  have  the  chance  of 
exercising  your  talents  in  escaping  a  trip  north  with  the 
darbies  on." 

Buckley  shrugged  his  shoulders,  shot  a  glance  at  Her 
man,  the  malice  in  which  was  devilish,  and  without  a 
word,  sauntered  over  to  the  bar. 

Having  thus  relieved  himself  of  his  ire,  Mr.  Howells 
suggested  that  they  turn  in,  which  was  an  agreeable  pro 
posal  to  Herman;  so  they  returned  to  the  hotel  and  sep 
arated  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT 

THE  Republican  rally  was  a  success,  if  the  presence  of 
numbers  and  the  appreciation  of  the  audience  betokened 
anything.  Herman's  speech  was  well  received,  and  he 
was  complimented  by  his  friends  on  its  logic  and  force 
as  well  as  its  diction;  but  he  himself  was  not  satisfied, 
and  he  retired  that  night  discouraged  and  disheartened, 
depressed  with  the  thought  that  invariably  came  to  him 
after  any  exciting  effort,  that  he  could  do  nothing  per 
fectly;  that  it  was  not  possible  for  him  ever  to  rise  above 
mediocrity.  He  felt  that  the  applause  to  his  speech  was 
a  tribute  to  its  excellence  as  an  academic  production;  it 
was  not  the  burst  of  enthusiasm  that  comes  when  souls 
are  moved  and  swayed  by  the  eloquence  which  magnetizes 
minds  and  hearts.  He  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would 
never  again  construct  and  memorize  an  address;  but  would 
study  and  elaborate  his  subject  in  his  thoughts  and  trust 
to  his  finding  language  in  which  to  give  them  expression 
in  manner  to  suit  the  occasion  and  the  humor  of  his  hearers. 
It  was  not  until  many  years  afterwards  that  he  learned 
that  all  oratorical  efforts  of  those  of  his  serious  and  poetic 
nature  must  be  meteors  of  the  hour;  if  affording  pleasure, 
accomplishing  no  results,  and  forgotten  on  the  morrow, 
unless  the  critical  occasion  has  arisen  which  awakens  and 
sets  free  the  inspired  feelings  and  convictions  of  their  souls, 
for  the  accomplishment  of  a  noble  purpose,  when  their 
fervent  words  will  bear  the  magic  power  to  convert  and 
arouse  to  action,  and  may  become  living  oracles  and  en 
during  precepts.  It  was  later  in  life  that  the  true  inter 
pretation  came  to  him  of  an  object  lesson  he  had  received, 
and  which  made  a  deep  impression  upon  him  as  a  young 
man.  He  had  the  great  privilege  of  being  present  at  the 
dedication  of  the  soldiers'  monument  at  Gettysburg,  and 

327 


328  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

heard  the  two  addresses  of  the  day:  one  the  polished, 
scholarly  oration  of  the  orator  laureate  of  the  country, 
the  other,  the  unstudied,  spontaneous  outburst  from  a  noble 
soul  standing  in  the  shadow  of  martyrdom.  In  the  grand 
and  prophetic  words  of  Lincoln,  which  will  live  with  the 
nation's  life,  the  brilliant  metaphors  and  ornate  similes  of 
Everett  faded  into  insignificance  and  soon  into  oblivion. 
The  scene  came  before  Herman,  as  he  thought  of  his  own 
intellectual  feebleness,  and  he  felt  that  martyrdom  was 
not  too  heavy  a  price  to  pay  for  greatness  like  Lincoln's. 
He  recalled  his  grotesque  appearance,  as  he  rode  about 
among  the  people,  his  long  legs  dangling  on  the  sides 
of  a  horse  much  too  small  for  him,  and  his  silk  hat  hung 
upon  the  back  of  his  head;  and  then  how  all  his  ungain- 
liness  seemed  to  vanish,  as  his  inspired  words  broke  forth 
and  held  entranced  the  listening  throng.  He  thought  too, 
while  in  this  vein  of  self  disparagement,  with  his  excel 
sior  longings  of  the  brilliant  refugee  Carl  Schurz,  who  in 
the  campaign  of  1864,  by  his  inspired  eloquence,  which  he 
had  listened  to  and  seen  the  result  of,  turned  whole  com 
munities  of  life-long  Democrats  to  the  comprehension  and 
support  of  Lincoln.  He  did  not  realize  then  that  it  was  the 
occasion  when  God,  at  the  supreme  moment,  was  shap 
ing  for  greatness  the  destiny  of  a  nation,  that  kindled 
the  fire  in  his  speech.  History  has  told  that,  the  occasion 
past,  his  words  lost  their  fervor,  and  few  to-day  recall 
the  part  he  played  as  orator  in  his  adopted  country's1 
great  struggle;  and  when  forty  years  later  his  earthly 
career  closed,  the  press  of  the  nation,  in  paying  tribute 
to  his  memory,  lost  sight  of  the  crusader  who  preached 
the  greatness  of  the  Union's  savior.  Yes,  it  was  not  until 
years  after  our  day  dreamer  fell  asleep  that  night,  years 
of  struggle  and  failures,  that  he  felt  the  keen  pleasure  of 
triumphs  whose  rewards  were  benefactions  to  his  fellows, 
and  the  happy  consciousness  of  the  power  to  shape  the 
conduct  of  others  to  noble  action.  It  was  only  after  he 
had  become  resigned  to  faithful  performance  of  the  duties 
of  his  profession,  untempted  by  and  without  thought  of 
self  aggrandizement,  and  when  he  had  become  part  of  his 
daily  prayers  the  invocation,  "  God  grant  that  these  noble 
thoughts,  these  longings  and  aspirations  Thou  bast  placed 


THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT        329 

in  my  heart  be  satisfied  and  realized  in  Thy  service,  if 
not  in  great  things  before  the  world,  in  the  humble  per 
formance  of  my  duty  to  Thee,  conscious  of  Thy  approba 
tion,  with  Thy  love  and  the  glimpses  of  Heaven  Thou  send- 
est  me." 

At  early  morning  on  a  crisp  Autumn  day  Herman  with 
Mr.  Roncador  and  an  old  Irish  American,  Capt.  Scanlon, 
who  had  commanded  a  company  of  New  York  Bowery  boys 
in  the  Stevenson  Regiment  in  the  Mexican  war,  started 
off  for  the  canvass  of  the  lower  part  of  the  county. 
Their  vehicle  was  a  staunchly  built  spring  wagon,  drawn 
by  a  pair  of  stout  gray  horses,  the  property  of  Mr.  Ron 
cador,  and  was  equipped  with  blankets,  a  lunch  basket,  filled 
with  substantials,  and  the  owner's  constant  traveling  com 
panion,  a  two-gallon  demijohn  of  whiskey,  which  he  shared 
generously  with  his  associates  and  guests,  until  a  private 
gauge  he  had,  marked  the  contents  at  the  half-gallon  point, 
when  he  became  niggardly  and  parted  reluctantly  and 
peevishly  with  a  few  drops  of  the  precious  liquid,  explain 
ing  that  he  was  troubled  with  a  colic  which  whiskey  would 
alone  relieve,  and  he  did  not  dare  risk  being  without  the 
remedy.  This  malady,  as  his  companions  noticed,  only 
attacked  him  at  the  half-gallon  point.  Mr.  Roncador  took 
great  satisfaction  in  dispensing  with  all  show  of  respect 
in  talking  to  the  Captain,  and  frequently  addressed  him  as 
he  would  have  one  of  his  recruits;  and  the  Captain  in  turn 
treated  him  with  the  contempt  of  a  line  officer  to  a  swell- 
headed  drill-sergeant,  and  in  speaking  to  him,  most  fre 
quently  gave  him  such  appellations  as  "  Old  Snorter," 
"  Slimy  old  porpoise,"  "  Old  horse-fiddle,"  and  the  like. 
Herman,  before  he  became  accustomed  to  their  peculiar  ex 
change  of  civilities,  expected  to  see  a  .resort  to  blows  by 
way  of  emphasis;  but  he  learned  in  a  little  time  that  it  was 
backed  by  no  malignity;  except  once  when  the  Captain  had 
gotten  out  on  the  bank  of  a  stream  to  uncheck  the  horses, 
the  sergeant  drove  clear  across  and  left  him  to  find  his 
way  over,  as  best  he  might,  on  improvised  steppingstones 
and  with  some  wading,  in  which  instance  it  required  Her 
man's  greatest  talent  as  a  peacemaker  to  prevent  the 
Captain  from  leveling  the  practical  joker  to  the  bottom  of 
the  wagon  with  his  own  demijohn. 


330  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

A  meeting  had  been  advertised  for  that  night  at  the 
neighboring  town  of  Mission  de  Santa  Susana,  which  was 
the  headquarters  of  Herman's  friend,  Robert  McFarland, 
and  of  Bebeleche  and  a  number  of  the  compatriots  of 
Bebeleche  and  Don  Victor  Ustasaustagui.  There  were  also 
several  well-to-do  Italians;  some  the  owners  of  a  large 
and  fertile  rancho,  and  others  engaged  in  traffic,  who  re 
sided  and  had  their  place  of  business  there.  All  these 
were  supporters  of  Herman,  and  welcomed  him  cordially. 
The  hotel  was  located  opposite  the  Mission  Church,  in  the 
center  of  the  business  part  of  the  village,  and  was  run 
to  suit  the  taste  of  all  races.  A  versatile  cook,  half 
Italian,  half  Portuguese,  could  produce  from  the  same  fry 
ing  pan,  gridiron  and  saucepan  came  con  chile,  a  filet  aux 
champignons,  or  ham  and  eggs.  When  the  delegation  ar 
rived  and  Mr.  Roncador  drew  up  in  front  of  the  hostelry, 
he  had  to  circle  a  huge  pyre  of  store  boxes  and  barrels 
in  process  of  erection,  to  be  touched  off  when  the  shades  of 
night  had  fallen  and  the  signal  given  by  a  loaded  anvil 
nearby.  This  work  was  being  presided  over  by  one  Dick 
Hedrington,  a  muscular,  long-legged  blacksmith,  with  a 
deep,  complaining,  hesitating  voice,  which  at  times  developed 
into  a  roar,  an  ex-soldier  in  the  Civil  War.  A  consider 
able  portion  of  his  skull  had  been  kicked  off  by  a  vicious 
horse  and  replaced  with  a  silver  plate  (the  only  precious 
metal  he  ever  had  about  him  that  did  not  eventually  find 
its  way  into  some  bar  till),  and  to  the  temperature  and  ex 
pansion  and  contraction  of  which,  he  attributed  all  the 
objectionable  eccentricities  he  displayed  after  he  had  passed 
the  danger  line  in  his  positions.  When  called  to  task  for 
abusive  language,  he  would  say  "  the  plate  got  to  pulling 
backwards  and  forwards  on  the  strings  of  my  tongue,  and  it 
went  off  on  its  own  hook,  and  I  couldn't  stop  it;"  and  when 
he  cracked  some  friend's  head  who  was  trying  to  get  him 
home,  he  protested  that  he  had  no  intention  of  laying  his 
hands  on  anything  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  declared  that 
his  infernal  plate  had  got  so  hot  that  he  thought  he  had 
on  the  anvil  a  horseshoe  fresh  from  the  forge,  and  started 
in  to  hammer  it.  As  soon  as  he  spied  Herman,  who  had 
once  defended  him  for  an  assault  caused  by  the  expansion 
of  his  silver  plate,  he  straggled  over  to  him  and  grabbed 


THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT        331 

his  hand  in  his  huge  paw  (Herman,  used  to  the  vice-like 
grip,  having  clenched  his  fist),  and  announced  to  the  bevy 
of  voters  on  the  hotel  veranda  that  that  young  man  was  his 
friend,  and  should  have  every  one  of  the  large  number 
of  votes  he  controlled;  that  he  was  the  smartest  law-sharp 
that  had  ever  tramped  into  the  Cow  Counties. 

After  shaking  hands  with  his  friends  and  being  intro 
duced  by  them  to  others,  Herman,  according  to  prevailing 
custom,  obligatory  on  all  candidates,  invited  everybody 
to  join  him  at  the  bar.  When  he  and  his  guests  entered 
the  bar-room,  in  one  corner, —  beside  a  card  table,  on  which 
squatted  a  monkey  in  a  red  coat  and  cap,  scratching  his 
face  with  his  hind  legs, —  two  men  were  standing.  One  who 
was  holding  the  monkey  by  a  string,  was  a  gypsy;  the 
other,  a  tall,  thin  Frenchman,  with  moustache  and  im 
perial,  neatly  dressed,  and  bearing  the  air  of  an  aristo 
crat.  Herman  immediately  recognized  the  Frenchman  as 
a  fellow  traveler  on  the  stage  that  two  years  before  had 
brought  him  to  St.  Agnes;  a  Monsieur  Courville.  On  the 
trip  he  had  been  quite  communicative  and  told  Herman 
that  he  had  sold  out  his  patrimony  in  France  some  years 
before,  and  invested  in  land  and  flocks  in  Southern  Cal 
ifornia,  which  had  proven  very  profitable.  Monsieur 
Courville  at  the  moment  was  not  the  quiet,  polite  gentleman 
that  talked  French  to  him  on  the  stage;  but  was  in  a  state 
of  frenzied  excitement,  stamping  his  feet,  gesticulating 
wildly,  thrusting  his  finger,  as  if  it  were  a  poignard  at 
the  gypsy,  and  pouring  a  flood  of  denunciatory,  broken 
English  at  him. 

"  You  insult  me,"  he  cried,  "  you,  you  vagabond ;  you 
chien  de  bohcmien,  bete  de  cochon;  I  will  teach  you  to  offaire 
your  cinge  to  me.  I  have  great  mind  to  shoot  you  here, 
now,  at  dis  moment.  I  vill  do  so  unless  you  tell  me  im- 
mediatement  who  tell  you  to  make  me  dis  offaire." 

The  gypsy  put  his  hand  under  his  coat  and  replied  in  a 
surly  tone: 

"  Look  here,  Mr.  Parley-vous,  don't  let  that  finger  get 
too  close  to  me  face  or  I'll  cut  your  heart  out.  Nobody 
told  me  to  offer  you  the  monkey.  An  Italian  organ- 
grinder  who  died  in  my  camp  left  it  to  me,  and  I  came  in 
town  to  sell  it.  You  are  a  Frenchman  and  looked  like  a 


332  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

man  that  would  like  a  pet  monkey.  I  didn't  know  you 
were  off  in  the  upper  story  on  the  question  of  monkeys, 
so  I  asked  you  if  you  wanted  to  buy  it." 

"Holloa,  Monsieur  Courville;  why  so  caliente?  "  called 
out  Bebeleche  who  had  come  in  with  the  crowd.  "  Don't 
you  know  it's  bad  luck  to  fight  with  a  gypsy?  Come  up; 
Mr.  Thomas  here  asks  you  with  my  other  friends  to  take 
a  drink." 

The  Frenchman  had  wheeled  around  and  seeing  who 
was  present,  concealed  his  indignation  in  an  assumption  of 
pleasantry  and  coming  forward,  said: 

"  Ah,  mon  cher  Bebeleche,  it  vas  only  a  lettle  let  off 
steam,  as  ze  Americans  say.  I  have  been  so  vera  ennuie, 
so  very  quiet ;  one  month  entire  on  ze  ranch,  my  health  need 
zat  I  make  one  grand  explosion.  I  find  ze  gypsy  and  I 
make  ze  explosion.  Ah,  is  it  possible?  Mon  cher  Mistaire 
Thomas;  charmed  to  meet  you  again.  You  are  now  one 
native  of  our  Southland,  no?" 

While  Monsieur  Courville  was  chatting  with  Herman, 
having  his  back  turned  to  the  gypsy,  Bebeleche  slipped 
over  to  the  latter,  handed  him  a  dollar  and  whispered  to 
him  in  Basque  to  go  off,  and  that  he  would  meet  him  at 
his  camp  the  next  day  to  look  at  some  horses.  The  gypsy 
took  the  hint,  and  glided  out  unnoticed.  Bebeleche,  when 
the  two  were  alone,  explained  to  Herman  that  Monsieur 
Courville  had  made  his  advent  in  St.  Agnes  with  a  hand- 
organ  and  monkey,  and  that  he  was  now,  in  his  present 
social  and  financial  condition,  naturally  very  sensitive  on 
the  subject;  that  one  of  his  enemies,  an  old  Calif ornian 
who  accused  him  of  having  robbed  him  of  a  piece  of  prop 
erty,  had  bought  the  hand-organ  which  he  called  Senor 
Courville's  cradle,  and  exhibited  it,  whenever  he  was  in 
town,  as  the  origin  of  the  Frenchman's  fortune.  Courville 
probably  thought  that  this  enemy  had  prompted  the  gypsy  to 
offer  him  the  monkey. 

The  speakers  of  the  meeting  met  with  a  noisier  demon 
stration  than  at  the  one  in  St.  Agnes;  there  was  more 
alcohol  back  of  the  enthusiasm  of  the  crowd,  which  was 
made  up  to  a  great  extent  from  cattle  and  sheep  men, 
rancheros,  vaqueros  and  sheep  shearers;  and  a  large  dele 
gation  of  natives  from  St.  Agnes,  who  had  come  into  town 


THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT        SSB 

for  a  double  purpose :  to  attend  the  meeting  and  to  get  com 
fortably  gorged  and  socially  drunk.  They  listened  atten 
tively  to  Herman's  speech,  both  those  that  understood 
English  and  those  that  did  not;  the  latter  following  the 
cues  of  the  former,  joining  vigorously  in  the  applause. 
Mr.  Roncador  thundered  at  the  natives  in  pigeon  Spanish, 
who  responded  in  compliments  to  his  personal  appearance 
and  the  capacity  of  his  lungs,  in  cries  such  as :  "  Esta 
bueno  bramador;  viva  pescado  grande;  mira,  el  toro  gordo.'  *' 
After  the  meeting,  the  candidates,  nearly  all  of  whom 
were  in  attendance,  in  accordance  with  campaign  exaction 
from  which  there  was  no  escape,  repaired  to  the  Parian, 
or  Spanish  road-house,  the  resort  of  the  populace  when 
in  a  jovial  mood,  which  was  at  all  times  when  there  was 
anyone  sufficiently  opulent  to  pay  for  the  inspiration.  It 
was  an  adobe  house,  and  a  small  vineyard  and  a  few  olive, 
fig  and  orange  trees,  located  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
in  a  little  forest  of  willows.  There  was  a  large  grape 
vine,  not  as  grand  a  one  as  Ruheplatz  boasted  of,  but  its 
branches  sufficiently  outspread  and  wide-reaching  to  roof 
over  a  fair  sized  dance  floor,  about  which  were  rough 
benches,  where  were  seated  what  looked  like  bronze  statues 
of  lightly-clad,  dusky-visaged,  stove-black-haired  women, 
with  their  hands  in  their  laps,  each  ready  to  accept  an 
offer  from  anyone,  from  sheep  herder  to  candidate,  of  a 
waltz  or  a  drink  or  a  tamale  or  a  stroll  among  the  willows. 
The  liquid  refreshments  consisted  of  aguardiente,  fiery 
enough  for  any  throat;  red  and  white  wine,  that  possessed 
much  the  fervor  and  some  of  the  bouquet  of  the  grape 
brandy;  and  a  brand  of  whiskey  especially  compounded 
for  sheep-herders,  who  alone  seemed  to  have  pluck  enough 
to  attack  it.  The  substantials  were  represented  by  tor- 
tillos,  tamales,  made  of  odds  and  ends  from  the  butcher 
shop;  olives,  chilis  and  sweets;  all,  even  the  pumpkin  pre 
serves,  redolent  of  garlic.  The  orchestra,  consisting  of  a 
fierce  looking,  bewhiskered  first  violin  and  an  immovable- 
visaged  second  violin,  whose  duty  was  simply  to  scrape 
chords;  a  lame  little  piccolo,  who  scattered  a  shower  of 
staccato  notes  around  every  punctuating  period  of  the 
refrain;  and  a  couple  of  strenuous  guitars,  one  a  grizzled 
old  veteran  with  bristling  hair  and  bushy  eyebrows,  and 


834          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the  other  a  young  gallant  with  languishing  eyes,  oily  locks 
and  waxed  moustache,  whose  eyes  rested  oft  and  anon  upon 
one  of  the  dusky  lay-figures,  who  would  now  and  then  look 
up  and  glance  at  him,  squeeze  her  own  hands,  giggle  and  re 
lapse  into  stolidity.  There  was  not  an  unpleasant  rhyth 
mical  harmony  in  their  playing  of  the  few  old  pieces  they 
knew,  and  as  long  as  they  confined  themselves  to  their  in 
struments,  the  ear  was  not  badly  racked;  but  when  they 
were  requested  to  display  their  vocal  talents  in  unison  with 
those  of  the  dusky  maidens,  and  when  from  their  combined 
nasal  organs  broke  forth,  as  if  strained  through  a  colander, 
a  stream  of  strident  sound,  like  the  incantation  of  a  band  of 
voodoos,  those  who  had  an  appreciation  for  the  concord  of 
sweet  sounds  felt  like  clapping  their  hands  to  their  ears 
and  diving  into  the  river. 

The  maidens  that  night  were  few  enough  for  the  native 
cavalleros,  and  the  candidates  were  not  prejudiced  in  the 
eyes  of  the  populace  by  not  taking  a  hot  turn  on  the  rough 
boards  in  the  garlic-laden  atmosphere  of  the  pavilion. 
Indeed,  the  class  of  the  fair  sex  that  graced  the  Parian 
looked  at  the  gringo  as  an  incomprehensible  sort  of  animal 
of  which  they  were  half  afraid  and  which  had  the  effect  of 
partially  paralyzing  them.  All  they  cared  for  was  the 
gifts  they  bore.  As  long  as  they  spent  their  money  freely, 
they  were  happier  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  it,  without 
their  company,  in  a  romp  with  the  males  of  their  own  kind ; 
and  it  was  astonishing  what  hilarious  hoydens  these  mute 
images,  that  at  first  skirted  the  dance  floor,  became  when 
in  a  wild  dance  with  tempestuous  paisanos,  when  the 
candidates  had  let  loose  the  electric  current.  As  on  all 
special  occasions  at  the  Parian,  between  waltzes,  an  old 
man  and  woman  in  Mexican  costume,  appeared  upon  the 
platform,  and  in  lifeless  monotony,  danced  the  cachuca. 
The  native  brandy  and  red  wine  seemed  not  to  have  given 
any  vivacity  to  features  or  movement,  but  simply  exuded 
through  the  pores  of  their  skin  and  was  mopped  off  with 
their  red  and  yellow  handkerchiefs.  They  were  rewarded 
with  a  shower  of  half-dollars  which  they  picked  up  with 
the  same  undemonstrative  deliberation  that  characterized 
their  dancing. 

Herman  was  leaning  against  one  of  the  posts  propping 


THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT        335 

the  vine,  watching  the  dance;  had  tossed  his  half-dollar  to 
the  performers  as  they  finished  and  was  about  to  move 
off,  when  he  was  accosted  by  a  Mexican,  in  dress  and  ap 
pearance  a  vaquero,  and  who  introduced  himself  as  Senor 
Vanegas.  He  stood  where  the  light  fell  upon  his  face, 
and  Herman  thought  it  was  as  ugly  a  face  as  he  had  ever 
seen.  He  was  smooth-shaven  and  had  a  low  brow,  treach 
erous  eyes,  sour  set  mouth,  so  set  that  it  made  impossible 
a  softened  expression  or  a  smile,  and  drawn  in  on  one  side 
by  a  cicatrice  that  traversed  one  indigo-colored  cheek  from 
eye  to  chin.  He  was  slender  and  wiry,  and  catlike  in  his 
movements. 

"  I  would  like  to  speak  with  the  Senor  a  few  little  words, 
if  he  will  walk  to  one  side,"  he  said.  Herman  accom 
panied  him  a  little  way  into  the  willows,  to  where  they 
could  not  be  observed  or  heard,  when  the  Mexican  said : 

"You  are  a  candidate;  you  have  a  very  hard  fight;  the 
hombres  del  pais,  the  natives,  are  poor,  and  they  have  much 
sympathy  for  the  poor  man  that  runs  against  you,  and  very 
many  will  vote  for  him,  if  they  gain  nothing  themselves 
from  the  other  side.  But  they  will  vote  for  you,  if  you 
help  them  with  some  money.  I  have  more  influence  with 
them  than  any  other  man.  Your  friends,  the  Basques  and 
Gachupinos  and  Mr.  McFarland,  are  very  good  men;  but 
they  can  only  get  votes  from  the  natives  that  work  for 
them,  and  a  good  many  of  these,  if  they  are  not  watched, 
will  go  for  the  other  man.  If  you  will  give  me  five  hundred 
dollars,  I  will  get  you  the  solid  vote  of  the  Spanish-speaking 
people." 

To  this  proposition  Herman  replied  that  he  was  not  pre 
pared  to  make  an  investment  of  that  kind.  Just  then,  look 
ing  up,  he  saw  back  of  Vanegas  some  few  yards,  where  the 
light  from  the  pavilion  made  them  recognizable,  Bebeleche 
and  the  gypsy,  who  had  raised  the  wrath  of  Monsieur  Cour- 
ville;  the  latter,  seeing  that  he  was  observed  by  Herman, 
disappeared,  and  Bebeleche  raised  his  hand  and  pointing 
to  Vanegas,  shook  his  head,  and  then  also  walked  off.  The 
warning  was  not  necessary  for  Herman's  protection;  but  it 
aroused  his  detective  instinct,  and  he  concluded  to  get  what 
information  he  could  from  this  political  broker  about  him 
self  and  his  fellows. 


336  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  You  see,"  said  Herman,  "  five  hundred  dollars  is  a 
large  sum  for  one  who  really  is  not  better  off  than  his 
opponent,  and  it  is  more  than  I  have." 

"  Sefior  has  good  friends  who  are  rich  and  who  will 
give  it,  if  Sefior  requests  it." 

"  Well,  suppose  they  would  advance  it,"  continued  Her 
man,  "  what  assurance  have  I  that  you  have  such  great  in 
fluence  and  that  you  will  distribute  it  so  as  to  secure  votes 
that  otherwise  would  have  gone  against  me,  and  that  you 
will  get  enough  votes  to  make  my  election  sure?  I  never 
have  met  you  before  and  do  not  know  you." 

"  I  can  give  you  names  of  men  who  know  me  and  send 
enough  people  to  you  to  tell  you  what  I  can  do  at  elections. 
If  I  get  this  five  hundred  dollars,  I  will  work  only  for  you 
and  nobody  else." 

"  You  might  now  name  some  of  your  references  and  I 
could  see  and  talk  with  them,"  replied  Herman. 

"  Well,  there  is  Manuel  Espinosa,  Mr.  Brooks  of  San 
Francisco  —  who  has  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho;  Mr.  Finland 
and  Mr.  Hill, —  whose  money  I  spend  every  election;  Mr. 
Buckley,  who  is  a  great  friend  of  mine  and  very  smart  and 
we  work  together;  and  Major  Falcon.  He  knows  me  very 
well,  and  says  that  there  is  no  man  in  the  county  can  cut 
up  a  hog  or  a  beef  or  prune  grape  vines  better  than  I  can, 
and  he  thinks  I  am  just  as  good  getting  votes,  for  when 
he  wants  to  elect  a  man  or  beat  him,  he  hires  me  to  help 
him.  Do  you  know  these  men  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  them,  and  I  will  speak  to  them  and  you 
can  see  me  later,"  said  Herman.  "  Do  you  work  at  any 
trade  or  business  in  St.  Agnes  ?  " 

"  I  can  do  most  anything  anybody  wants.  I'm  a  good 
vaquero,  as  well  as  butcher  and  pruner,  and  I  know  every 
pass  and  trail  in  the  county,  and  I  can  carry  messages 
anywhere  from  one  end  to  the  other,  quicker  than  any 
body.  So  I  just  do  whatever  job  there's  the  most  money 
in." 

"  I  see  there's  a  gypsy  camp  here/'  said  Herman,  "  are 
there  any  voters  among  them  ?  " 

The  Mexican  gave  a  quick,  sharp  look  at  Herman,  and 
said,  "Have  you  talked  with  any  gypsies  here?  Do  you 
know  any  of  them?  " 


THE  GYPSY  AND  THE  CUTTHROAT        337 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  saw  one  in  town  this  evening  with  a  monkey, 
and  supposed  there  was  a  camp." 

"  They  have  no  votes/'  said  Vanegas,  "  and  you  had  bet 
ter  keep  away  from  them.  They  will  try  bleed  you,  and 
if  you  do  not  give  them  anything,  they  will  do  you  some 
harm." 

"  Well,"  said  Herman,  "  come  to  my  office  in  St.  Agnes 
a  week  from  to-day,  and  I  will  give  you  an  answer." 

They  started  back  to  the  pavilion,  the  Mexican  in  front, 
who  took  from  his  pocket  a  tobacco  pouch  and  prepared 
to  roll  a  cigaritto.  As  he  did  so,  his  foot  caught  in  the 
root  of  a  vine  and  he  was  thrown  forward,  almost  falling; 
and  in  the  struggle  to  right  himself,  Herman  saw  something 
bright  fall  to  the  ground  unnoticed  by  him.  He  picked  it 
up  and  found  that  it  was  a  butcher  knife,  the  blade  of 
which  had  been  ground  down  until  it  was  scarcely  two- 
thirds  its  original  length,  pointed,  and  with  an  edge  as 
keen  as  a  razor.  Herman  was  struck  with  a  peculiarity 
about  it,  the  purpose  of  which  he  surmised  to  be  to  attach 
the  knife  to  some  shield  or  wrist  tether.  Two  pointed 
metal  pins  about  half  an  inch  long  projected  from  the 
handle,  one  on  either  side  of  the  blade,  so  as  to  give  the 
top  of  the  handle  the  appearance  of  a  dagger's  hilt.  He 
handed  it  to  Vanegas,  who  said  it  was  a  knife  he  had  long 
used  in  his  butcher  work.  Herman  invited  him  to  take 
some  refreshments,  and  they  then  separated,  the  Mexican 
going  off  in  the  direction  of  the  hotel,  while  Herman  be 
came  the  victim  of  a  crowd  of  boisterous  paisanos,  who 
shouted  his  health  and  slapped  him  on  the  back  and  an 
nounced  in  thickened  accents  that  he  was  rnuy  buen  hombre, 
muy  cavallero:  "  si  senores,  veree  good  man;  veree  gentle 
man."  Bebeleche  finally  came  up  and  rescued  him  and 
they  returned  to  the  hotel  together,  taking  a  short  cut,  and 
coming  out  upon  the  street  not  very  far  from  the  hotel. 
There  was  a  little  row  of  Monterey  cypress  trees  grown 
into  a  dense  hedge  that  shielded  them  from  view  of  those 
on  the  street  just  before  their  path  joined  it,  and  as  they 
passed  along  this  hedge  they  heard  the  voices  of  two  men 
conversing  while  they  walked  slowly  along  the  street.  One 
was  an  American  and  the  other,  from  his  accent,  a  Mexican. 
Herman  and  his  companion  at  once  recognized  the  voices 


338  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

of  Buckley  and  Vanegas  and  halted  until  they  had  walked 
beyond  the  hedge  and  came  in  sight  and  had  gone  some 
distance  ahead.  As  they  passed  by  within  hearing  of 
those  on  the  other  side  of  the  hedge,  Buckley  said: 

"  I  tell  you,  the  puppy  will  never  pungle ;  you  won't 
get  any  five  hundred  dollars  or  a  tenth  of  it,  or  a  cent,  or 
else  I  don't  know  the  fellow.  Of  course,  there  is  no  harm 
in  trying.  D — n  him,  I  am  as  eager  as  you  are  to  bury 
some  of  his  coin  with  him;  he  hasn't  much  now,  and  if  I 
could  cinch  him  so  as  to  take  his  last  cent,  it  would  be  the 
happiest  job  I  ever  had  a  hand  in,  and  I  would  spend  my 
own  coin  to  do  it." 

"  I  want  his  money,"  said  Vanegas;  "you  seem  to  want 
his  blood." 

"  You're  right,  and  I'll  get  it  some  day.  But  about  that 
other  matter.  I'll  keep  you  posted  and  let  you  know  when 
to  strike;  it  may  be  a  long  game.  You'll  have  to  be  like 
me,  contented  with  short  pickings  till  we  are  sure  of  our 
game,  and  then  do  the  job  and  get  out  of  the  one-horse 
country." 

When  they  had  passed  out  of  hearing,  Bebeleche  told 
Herman  that  the  gypsy,  who  was  the  captain  of  the  band, 
and  really  a  good  fellow,  had  taken  a  liking  to  him  and 
had  warned  him  against  Vanegas,  as  a  desperate  cut 
throat;  that  he  had  met  him  in  Mexico,  and  had  personal 
knowledge  of  a  foul  deed  that  he  had  committed;  and  this 
is  all  he  would  say  about  it:  " 

' '  Our  race/  he  said,  '  never  tell  tales ;  we  see  every 
thing  and  disclose  nothing.  If  anyone  wrongs  us,  we 
punish  him  without  the  help  of  the  courts.  This  Mexican 
knows  that  I  know  what  he  has  done,  and  the  only  reason 
he  doesn't  try  to  make  away  with  me,  or  run  away  from  me, 
is  that  he  knows  our  creed/  " 

"  Well,  they  are  a  precious  pair  of  scoundrels,"  said 
Herman,  "  and  I  fear  that  they  have  some  devilish  plot 
on  hand.  Buckley  has  certainly  taken  a  bitter  dislike  to 
me,  and  it  has  not  been  mitigated  by  my  being  witness  to 
his  participation  in  an  attempted  jail  delivery  at  St.  Agnes." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE    WHITE    BEAN 

THE  campaigners  were  to  speak  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
day  following  at  a  place  called  Pleasant  Grove,  a  picnic 
ground  in  the  stronghold  of  the  squatters,  where  the  mem 
bers  of  the  community  gathered  on  Sundays  to  listen  to 
preaching,  with  the  interest  and  resultant  profit  they  would 
to  the  cawing  of  crows;  and  occasionally  on  week  days, 
to  discuss  such  interesting  topics  as  the  lynching  of  a  horse 
thief,  or  the  doing  up  of  a  land  owner.  How  they  came 
across  the  word  Pleasant  and  adopted  it  is  a  mystery. 

The  party  stopped  at  the  different  ranch  houses  on  their 
way  and  were  everywhere  well  received  by  rancheros  and 
land  owners,  whose  houses  were  few  and  far  between  in 
the  great  valleys  where  cattle  and  sheep  then  roamed, 
their  owners  not  yet  awakened  to  the  comprehension  of 
the  agricultural  wealth  that  slumbered  in  the  soil.  Capt. 
Scanlan  entertained  Herman  en  route  with  stories  of  his 
adventures  as  a  soldier  in  Mexico,  which  were  received 
by  Mr.  Roncador  with  sundry  disrespectful  shrugs  and 
gruff  exclamations  by  which  he  expressed  his  want  of  faith 
in  the  absolute  verity  of  the  incidents  and  his  contempt  for 
their  insignificance.  One,  in  particular,  told  with  a  grim 
humor,  it  is  supposed  not  exactly  felt  at  the  time  of  the 
event,  interested  and  impressed  Herman.  The  Captain 
with  another  officer  and  a  small  company  of  privates,  fifteen 
in  number,  were  captured  by  a  superior  force  of  Mexicans, 
while  they  were  out  foraging.  The  Mexican  leader  of  the 
captors,  was  distinguished,  if  I  may  use  the  term,  as  a 
successful  exterminator  of  Indian  outlaws,  with  a  thirst 
for  blood-letting,  and  without  any  knowledge  of  the  ethics 
of  civilized  warfare  or  the  distinction  between  a  rebellious 
Indian  and  an  American  soldier.  In  fact,  the  blood  of  a 
gringo  was  the  most  attractive  sight  to  him  of  any.  He 

339 


340          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

was  also  possessed  of  the  idea  that,  as  part  of  his  pre 
rogative  as  guerrilla  chieftain,,  he  could  try,  condemn  and 
execute,  without  the  aid  of  a  military  court,  and  dispensing 
with  ridiculous  legal  formalities.  He  lost  no  time  in  dis 
posing  of  the  cases  of  Capt.  Scanlan  and  his  fellow  pris 
oners.  He  turned  them  into  a  room  in  a  ranch  house, 
which  he  had  appropriated  as  his  night's  quarters,  ordered 
them  fed  with  rations  of  frijoles,  and  said  that  he  would 
visit  them  after  supper.  His  own  supper,  washed  down 
with  a  generous  quantity  of  wine,  and  the  fact  that  he 
had  made  such  a  good  haul,  put  him  in  the  best  of  humors, 
and  inclined  him,  to  show  some  little  leniency  to  the 
prisoners.  He  sent  his  orderly  to  announce  to  them  his 
coming,  and  quickly  followed.  Entering  the  room,  he 
bowed  profoundly  and  said: 

"  Gentlemen,  it  is  with  great  regret  that  I  find  you  in 
the  position  you  are,  having  gone  upon  Mexican  territory 
and  without  authority  devastated  the  land  and  robbed  the 
inhabitants  of  their  property,  thus  incurring  the  penalty 
of  death.  It  moves  me,  however,  not  to  be  too  severe;  so 
I  will  grant  grace  to  one  of  your  number.  Here  is  a  bag 
of  beans,  sixteen  black  ones  and  one  white;  you  can  draw, 
and  whoever  receives  the  white  one  I  will  see  that  he  get 
within  the  American  lines.  The  remainder  of  you,  gentle 
men,  will  be  shot  promptly  at  sunrise  to-morrow  morning. 
As  some  of  you  may  desire  the  ministrations  of  a  priest,  I 
will  send  for  one  who  is  at  headquarters  of  our  division, 
a  few  miles  distant."  Then  turning  to  the  Indian  who 
had  been  directed  to  wait  upon  the  prisoners,  he  said: 

"  When  you  are  through  your  work,  go  over  to  the 
General's  headquarters  and  tell  Father  Tomas  to  come 
here  some  time  to-night  and  confess  some  gentlemen  who 
cannot  live  more  than  twelve  hours.  Now,  gentlemen,  I 
hope  you  will  derive  some  entertainment  in  drawing  for  the 
white  bean,  and  I  will  cause  to  be  released  from  custody, 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  the  one  who  has  escaped 
the  honor  of  meeting  a  soldier's  death;  and  will  send  him 
where  his  safety  is  assured  until  we  have  shot  and  bayo 
neted  him  with  all  the  foreign  hordes  he  belongs  to.  I  trust 
that  you  understand  my  words,  or  that  you  have  one  among 
you  who  can  interpret  them,  as  it  would  grieve  me  deeply 


THE  WHITE  BEAX 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  341 

if  to-morrow  morning  should  find  you  without  having  taken 
steps  to  reduce,  by  one,  the  number  of  the  doomed.  To 
meet  a  contingency  of  this  kind,  however,  I  have  commanded 
the  construction  of  coffins  for  the  full  number,  seventeen." 
With  this  he  bowed  again  and  retired. 

The  Captain  had  not  been  long  enough  among  the  na 
tives  to  comprehend  the  full  purport  of  these  remarks; 
but  his  lieutenant,  whose  mother  was  a  Spaniard,  and  who 
understood  the  language,  and  spoke  it  perfectly,  translated 
the  address  with  the  utmost  nonchalance,  in  fact,  embellish 
ing  it,  to  make  it  more  harrowing.  Capt.  Scanlan  said  he 
had  to  admit  that  it  caused  an  extremely  uncomfortable 
feeling  of  distaste,  at  being  shot  down  like  a  dog  by  a 
lot  of  savages,  but  his  anger  at  the  insolent  outrage  soon 
predominated,  and  he  commenced  cursing  the  murderous 
leader,  and  ended  up  with  anathemas  upon  the  whole  black 
race,  as  he  called  them.  The  effect  was  different  on  differ 
ent  individuals.  A  few  became  serious  and  thoughtful,  as 
if  preparing  themselves  for  death;  some  were  perfectly 
stoical;  others  who  were  known  as  dashing  soldiers  be 
came  pallid  and  trembled;  some  joked  rather  unnaturally 
and  laughed  somewhat  hysterically;  one  or  two  claimed 
that  it  was  a  bluff  and  that  he  would  not  dare  shoot  down 
American  prisoners  without  some  sort  of  trial  and  sentence. 
One  suggested  that  they  draw  up  a  formal  protest  against 
this  brutal  violation  of  the  laws  of  warfare,  and  threaten 
the  vengeance  of  the  United  States  army  upon  captives. 

"  Such  a  protest  might  be  prepared,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
"  but  the  matter  would  be  considered  and  determined  after 
we  are  rotting  away  in  our  coffins.  I  know  this  fellow  by 
reputation,  and  his  motto  is  to  first  bury  the  subject  of  con 
troversy  and  then  try  him.  You  may  make  up  your  minds 
that  unless  there  is  a  miraculous  interposition  of  Providence, 
sixteen  of  us  die  at  sunrise.  I  suggest  we  get  over  the  lot 
tery  part  of  the  business  at  once,  and  give  one  man  a 
chance  to  start  for  home  and  livelier  company." 

He  then  took  the  shot-bag  of  beans  and  counted  them 
out  into  a  hat,  finding  that  there  were  just  seventeen  with 
the  white  one.  He  returned  them  to  the  bag,  tied  it  and 
shook  it  up  and  down,  and  in  every  direction  and  handed 
it  to  the  Captain  who  went  through  the  same  proceeding, 


342  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  then  turned  it  over  to  one  of  those  who  appeared  to  be 
most  overcome  with  dread.  He  shook  it  nervously  and 
threw  it  down  on  the  table.  He  was  a  well  built,  mus 
cular  man,  a  good  fighter,  one  who  went  into  a  fight  as  he 
would  into  a  game  of  ball,  without  any  comprehension  of 
danger  and  any  idea  of  being  hurt,  and  this  was  really  the 
first  time  he  had  ever  consciously  faced  death,  and  the 
dread  of  it  overpowered  him. 

"  It  is  a  dirty  shame/'  he  said,  his  voice  trembling,  "  to 
be  murdered  this  way,  when  a  fellow's  strong  and  well  and 
ought  to  live  forty  or  fifty  years  to  come." 

"What  are  you  squealing  about?"  said  one  of  his  mess 
mates,  "why  don't  you  take  what  comes?  There's  nobody 
depending  on  you;  you  have  nobody  but  yourself,  and  it 
don't  make  much  difference  whether  you  die  with  your 
boots  on  or  in  your  bed.  I  have  a  wife  and  young  one, 
and  God  knows  what '11  become  of  em,  but  I  take  my  medi 
cine." 

"  You're  right,  Harry,  and  you  are  not  the  only  one 
among  us  whose  death  will  fall  heavy  on  those  who  can 
ill  afford  to  lose  the  little  we  can  do  for  them.  But  pro 
ceed  to  business." 

The  lieutenant  threw  a  blanket  over  the  bag,  and  putting 
his  hands  under  it,  untied  the  strings,  spreading  open  the 
mouth  of  the  bag,  and  then  withdrew  his  hands,  saying, 
"  Now,  gentlemen,  who  will  take  first  shot?  There  is  no 
rank  or  precedence  in  a  matter  of  this  kind.  Would  you 
like  to  try  your  luck,  Duncan  ?  "  turning  to  the  terrorized 
soldier.  i 

"  Oha  no,  not  the  first  one.     I  wouldn't  dare  draw  first." 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Indian  who  had  been  ordered  to 
summon  the  priest  had  finished  his  work  and  come  up  to 
the  table,  and  was  watching  the  proceedings.  The  lieuten 
ant  noticed  him,  and  asked  him  in  Spanish  if  he  did  not 
wish  to  try  his  luck.  He  deigned  no  reply  to  the  invita 
tion,  but,  shaking  his  head  in  the  direction  of  Duncan,  said, 
"  Big  coward." 

"  Is  there  no  one  here/'  asked  the  Captain,  "  who  is  will 
ing  to  open  the  game?  If  not,  I  will  start  it."  And  put 
ting  his  hand  under  the  blanket  he  drew  out  a  black  bean. 

"  Well,  that  settles  it  with  me,"  he  said;  "  who  is  next?  " 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  343 

Four  of  apparently  the  least  moved  by  the  ordeal  in  suc 
cession  advanced,  and  drew  each  a  black  bean,  when  there 
was  a  lull,  no  one  for  the  moment  offering  to  take  his  place 
at  the  life  or  death  game.  The  lieutenant,  after  waiting  a 
little  while,  to  afford  opportunity  to  any  other  to  take 
precedence,  put  his  hand  under  the  blanket  and  drew  out 
—  the  white  bean.  There  was  a  dead  silence  as  he  held  it 
up.  Duncan  staggered  back,  down  upon  a  bench,  and  sat 
with  his  head  in  his  hands.  Then  the  Captain  stepped 
forward  and  grasped  the  lieutenant's  hand,  as  he  said,  "  I 
am  happy,  my  boy,  you  got  it ;  no  one  has  better  deserved  to 
escape  than  you,  and  no  one  is  more  greatly  needed  by 
our  country." 

Then  the  men,  all  except  the  wretched  Duncan,  came  up 
and  crowded  about  him  and  congratulated  him.  He  seemed 
deeply  moved,  shook  hands  and  thanked  them.  When  they 
were  done  and  stood  about  silent  and  the  most  reckless  of 
them  impressed  with  knowledge  of  their  now  certain  fate, 
the  lieutenant  smiled,  as  he  leaned  against  the  table  and 
played  with  the  white  bean,  and  presently  said: 

"  And  do  you  suppose  that  I  could  have  the  heart  to  for 
sake  my  comrades,  and  go  back  to  my  regiment,  leaving 
them  to  die  like  men,  and  I  not  share  their  martyrdom ;  that 
I  could  dare  to  look  a  soldier  in  the  face,  escaping  the 
sacrifice  by  a  brutal  chance,  afforded  by  a  cutthroat  beast, 
to  add  a  refinement  of  cruelty  to  his  crime?  If  you  be 
lieve  it,  you  do  not  know  what  stuff  I  am  made  of."  And 
he  lifted  the  blanket,  restored  the  white  bean  to  the  bag, 
shuffled  its  contents  and  called  upon  someone  to  proceed 
with  the  lottery.  The  men  crowded  about  him  and  wrung 
his  hand  and  called  him  noble  and  tears  were  seen  in  vet 
erans'  eyes.  The  Indian  stood  gazing  at  him  in  silence, 
as  at  some  wonderful  prodigy.  Some  little  time  passed 
before  another  tried  his  luck,  and  in  the  interval  the  lieu 
tenant  took  the  Indian  to  one  side  and  said  to  him,  "  Will 
you  do  me  a  favor?" 

"  It  would  make  me  very  happy  to  do  anything  for  you ; 
you  are  a  very  brave  man,"  he  replied. 

"  What  kind  of  a  man  is  Father  Tomas  ?  "  the  lieutenant 
continued.  "  Does  he  countenance  the  wholesale  murder 
of  prisoners  of  war  ?  " 


84,4,     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"No;  he  is  a  very  good  and  kind-hearted  man,  and  al 
ways  tries  to  save  the  lives  of  those  condemned/'  replied 
the  Indian. 

"  Then  I  will  ask  you  to  go  for  him,  as  you  were  ordered, 
immediately,  and  hand  him  a  note  I  shall  write,  and  tell 
him  that  if  he  wishes  to  prevent  a  great  crime,  to  read  it  at 
once  and  act  upon  it." 

The  lieutenant  then  hastily  wrote  upon  some  sheets  of 
cigarette  paper,  and  handed  to  the  Indian  the  following 
note,  written  in  Spanish,  addressed  to  the  priest: 

"  Reverend  dear  Sir:  Invoking  your  aid  as  a  Christian 
and  God's  minister,  I  beg  of  you,  in  the  interest  of  humanity, 
to  immediately  present  the  following  statement  to  the  gen 
eral  in  command  of  the  Mexican  troops:  The  writer,  the 

son  of  Dna.  Ysabel ,  Daughter  of  Dn.  Oswaldo n, 

of  the  Spanish  legation  in  Mexico,  an  American  officer, 
with  a  fellow  officer,  standing  high  in  the  service,  and  fifteen 
soldiers,  have  been  captured  by  Captain  Soto  of  the  Mexican 
cavalry,  who  has  ordered  that  they  be  shot  to-morrow  morn 
ing  at  sunrise,  without  trial,  in  brutal  violation  of  the  laws 
of  civilized  warfare.  If  this  order  be  carried  out,  a  lasting 
slur  will  be  cast  upon  the  Mexican  arms,  and  certain  ven 
geance  will  follow  from  the  American  army,  in  the  execu 
tion,  in  retalliation,  of  Mexican  officers  held  prisoners  by 
the  United  States." 

The  Indian  took  the  note,  concealed  it  in  his  neckerchief, 
and  signaled  to  the  sentry  outside,  who  unlocked  the  door 
and  let  him  out.  The  lieutenant  then  returned  to  the  table. 
The  drawing  had  begun  again;  one  had  just  drawn  a  black 
bean,  and  another  had  taken  his  place.  The  luck  of  this  one 
was  no  better.  Duncan  here  arose  and  staggered  to  the 
table,  having  at  last  mustered  up  courage  sufficient  for  the 
ordeal,  and  thrust  his  hand  under  the  blanket  and  withdrew 
it  with  a  bean  squeezed  tightly  between  his  fingers.  At 
first  he  dared  not  look  at  it,  then  he  let  it  drop  on  the 
table  —  it  was  the  white  one. 

"  Saved,"  he  cried,  "  saved,  boys,"  and  his  face,  which 
had  been  the  picture  of  abject  wretchedness,  was  lit  up 
with  pleasure ;  "  here,  shake,"  and  he  held  out  his  hand  to 
the  man  next  him,  who  looked  at  him  with  a  scowl,  and  spat 
on  it.  There  arose  a  low,  ugly  murmur  from  the  men,  and 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  345 

someone  called  out  "  lynch  him."  The  poor  creature  again 
turned  livid  with  fear,  and  sprang  towards  the  door,  but 
an  Irishman  of  giant  frame  dealt  him  a  powerful  blow  in 
the  face  that  felled  him  to  the  floor,  and  planted  his  foot 
on  his  throat,  where  he  lay,  his  face  bleeding,  crying  for 
mercy. 

"  Shame  on  you,  men/'  cried  the  Captain.  "  Can't  you 
see  that  the  hand  of  Providence  is  in  this.  Suppose  this 
poltroon  had  not  drawn  the  lucky  bean,  our  company  would 
have  been  eternally  disgraced.  He  would  have  been 
dragged  to  execution,  a  begging,  crying,  pitiful  object  of 
cowardice,  in  the  uniform  of  an  American  soldier.  Let  him 
alone,  his  punishment  will  be  a  hundred  times  worse  than 
our  ordeal,  and  the  time  will  come  when  he  would  give 
his  life  to  blot  out  to-night's  good  luck.  It  is  not  for  us 
now  to  vent  our  fury  on  another,  but  to  prepare  our  minds 
to  meet  like  men  a  soldier's  end/' 

He  then  knocked  on  the  door  and  called  the  sentry,  and 
told  him  that  he  delivered  to  him  the  wretched  object  of 
his  captain's  grace,  at  the  same  time  thrusting  Duncan,  who 
had  been  permitted  to  arise,  out  the  door,  and  closing  it 
upon  him. 

"  Now,  my  men,"  said  the  Captain,  returning  to  the 
table,  "  come  forward  and  we  will  have  a  council  of  war. 
Drop  your  voices,  for  walls  have  ears.  The  first  thing 
naturally  to  be  considered  is  the  possibility  of  escape. 
"  John,"  addressing  a  sergeant,  one  of  those  who  had  not 
betrayed  any  emotion  since  the  capture,  "  have  you  sized 
up  the  surroundings,  and  is  there  any  rat-hole  we  can  crawl 
through?  " 

"  Divil  a  bit  of  a  rat-hole  in  thim  doby  walls,  Captain, 
and  if  we  had  wings  like  the  American  aigle  they  wud  put 
a  ball  through  us  before  we  cud  start  thim  to  wurruck. 
It'll  be  moonloight  all  night,  and  there  isn't  a  tree  or  a 
cover  of  any  kind  widin  a  hundred  yards  of  the  house,  and 
the  ould  murderin  ape  of  a  commandante  has  half  of  his 
command  on  sentry  duty,  and  I  meself  heard  him  give 
orders  to  shoot  down  any  man  that  sticks  his  nose  out  of 
this  apartment.  It  wud  do  no  good  to  garrote  the  peeler 
at  the  dure,  for  ye'd  have  a  swarm  of  the  black  divils  on 
ye  the  minute  he  disappeared.  I  niver  in  me  loife  was  so 


340  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

complately    surrounded    as    we    are    this    present    toime." 

"  Well,  boys/'  said  the  Captain,  "  it  looks  as  though  we 
must  be  ready  for  the  worst.  Those  who  have  any  trinkets 
they  wish  to  leave  or  messages  to  send,  had  better  prepare 
them  before  the  priest  comes.  I  am  sure  that  he  will  see 
that  they  are  sent  to  where  they  were  to  go.  Lieutenant, 
I  will  ask  you  to  prepare  a  formal  protest  and  threat  of 
retaliation  to  present  to  the  savage  Soto  in  the  morning, 
who  will  surely  be  on  hand  to  enjoy  the  spectacle.  It  is 
like  offering  a  tract  to  a  ravenous  tiger,  but  it  will  do  no 
harm  to  make  the  threat." 

The  lieutenant  proceeded  immediately  to  work  upon  his 
task,  and  the  men  scattered  about  the  room.  Some  few 
wrote  a  line  to  those  they  wished  to  bid  a  last  farewell  to; 
some  strode  nervously  up  and  down;  some  sat  moodily  and 
others  spread  their  blankets  on  the  floor,  laid  down  and  were 
soon  asleep.  It  was  long  after  midnight  when  the  priest 
came.  He  was  a  gentle,  spiritual,  old  man,  with  a  winning 
manner,  and  a  sad  face.  The  lieutenant  and  one  of  the 
men,  with  a  couple  of  blankets,  constructed  a  confessional 
in  the  corner  of  the  room.  When  completed,  as  the  priest 
was  putting  on  his  stole,  the  officer  asked  him  if  he  had 
received  his  note. 

"  Yes,  senor,  and  I  delivered  it  to  the  general,  who  read 
it  and  said  he  had  no  reply,  and  ushered  me  out  without 
permitting  me  to  say  a  word." 

The  lieutenant  was  the  first  to  enter  the  confessional, 
and  was  followed  in  succession  by  two-thirds  of  the  pris 
oners.  After  ministering  to  those  of  his  church,  the  priest 
spoke  to  the  others  in  gentle  words,  more  touching  in  his 
broken  English,  and  sought  to  comfort  and  console  them, 
and  he  gladly  undertook  to  carry  out  the  last  wishes  of 
the  prisoners.  He  then  laid  down  on  the  floor  with  them, 
and  rested  till  the  day  broke.  A  half-hour  before  sunrise 
the  Indian  brought  in  coffee.  The  men  arose  and  break 
fasted  in  silence.  All  seemed  reconciled  to  their  fate  and 
showed  no  signs  of  trepidation.  The  moment  the  sun  ap 
peared  above  the  horizon,  a  bugle  was  sounded,  the  door 
of  the  room  was  thrown  open,  an  officer  appeared  and  an 
nounced  that  the  hour  had  come  for  carrying  out  the  order  of 
the  captain,  and  directed  the  prisoners  to  file  out.  They 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  347 

passed  out,  followed  by  the  priest,  and  were  lined  up, 
with  their  hands  tied,  along  the  wall  of  the  house.  The 
firing  squad  stood  a  little  to  one  side.  Captain  Soto  then 
rode  up  in  company  with  an  aide  on  the  general's  staff,  who, 
from  the  appearance  of  his  horse,  must  have  just  arrived, 
after  a  hot  ride. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Capt.  Soto,  "  have  you  anything  to 
say  before  expiating  your  crime  ?  " 

The  lieutenant  stepped  forward,  and  addressing  the 
Mexican  officers,  said : 

"  Yes,  I  have  a  formal  written  protest  to  present,  on  be 
half  of  my  brother  officer  and  our  men,  against  this  out 
rage,  unparalleled  in  civilized  warfare;  but  as  if  to  pur 
posely  add  insult  and  ignominy  to  the  act  of  savagery,  the 
hands  of  myself  and  Captain  Scanlen  have  been  tied,  as 
though  we  were  felons,  preventing  my  presenting  the 
paper." 

"  Untie  the  two  officers,"  said  Capt.  Soto  to  his  orderly. 

When  his  hands  were  free  the  lieutenant  read  the  pro 
test  which  was  as  forcible  as  it  was  brief,  and  offered  to 
hand  it  to  the  orderly. 

"  You  can  retain  the  document,"  said  Captain  Soto ;  "  it 
cannot  transform  to  a  company  of  gallant  soldiers  cap 
tured  on  the  battle-field,  fighting  nobly,  a  band  of  vaga 
bond  thieves."  Then  turning  to  his  companion,  he  said, 
"  Major,  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  general,  I  turn 
over  to  you  this  band  of  chicken  and  cattle  thieves.  My  men 
are  ready  to  dispose  of  them  here,  if  you  give  the  com 
mand,  and  I  so  advise,  as  it  will  save  trouble  and  ex 
pense." 

"Thank  you,  Captain  Soto,"  said  the  major,  "  but  my 
orders  are  to  have  them  immediately  taken,  under  guard 
of  a  detachment  furnished  by  you,  to  headquarters,  where 
they  will  be  disposed  of  in  such  a  way  that  there  will  be  no 
question  as  to  formalities." 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  the  war  closed,  and  the 
prisoners  were  released. 

"  Soto  was  a  jackass,"  said  Mr.  Roncador,  "he  ought  to 
have  strung  you  up  as  soon  as  he  caught  you,  and  he  would 
have  saved  his  own  country  expense,  and  the  American 
army  wouldn't  have  lost  anything." 


348  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"Did  you  ever  see  Duncan  afterwards?"  inquired  Her 
man. 

"  Yes,  once.  When  he  was  in  the  army,,  he  was  the 
same  build  and  the  exact  image  of  Roncador  here.  You 
would  have  taken  them  for  twins.  The  only  difference  in 
constitution  was,  that  Roncador  understood  the  danger  of 
bullets  and  always  kept  out  of  a  fight  when  he  could,  and 
ran  away  when  he  couldn't,  while  Duncan  did  not  realize 
there  was  anything  deadly  about  them  until  he  knew  he 
was  to  be  killed  with  them.  One  day  I  was  on  Mont 
gomery  Street  in  San  Francisco,  when  I  was  accosted  by  a 
tall  man  in  a  dirty,  ragged  uniform.  He  was  lean  and  lank, 
and  his  face  was  haggard  and  yellow,  with  an  expression  of 
pain  on  it,  and  he  had  a  poverty-stricken  appearance  about 
him  that  looked  strange  in  San  Francisco.  '  Captain,  don't 
you  know  me  ?  '  he  said. 

"  I  never  would  have  known  this  frame-work  of  his 
former  self  had  it  not  been  for  the  voice  which  was  un 
mistakably  Duncan's. 

"  '  Yes,  I  know  you,  Duncan/  I  said,  and  he  looked  so 
pitiful,  I  put  out  my  hand  and  said;  '  How  are  you,  man?  ' 

"  He  took  my  hand  and  cried  like  a  baby,  and  said: 
: '  I  thank  you,  Captain,  it  is  mighty  good  in  you  to  shake 
hands  with  me.  I  am  so  miserable.  Indeed,  Captain,  I 
am  braver  now  than  when  we  were  condemned  to  be  shot. 
I  could  walk  up  now  and  look  into  the  muzzle  of  the  ex 
ecutioner's  gun  without  wincing.  But  it  came  upon  me 
so  suddenly  then,  the  thought  that  in  a  few  hours  I,  who 
was  so  young  and  full  of  life,  should  be  dead  —  murdered 
in  cold  blood.  I  have  not  had  a  moment's  peace  since.  I 
was  an  object  of  loathing  to  my  comrades,  and  everybody 
wherever  I  go  seems  to  look  at  me,  as  if  they  knew  that  I 
was  a  coward  and  shun  me.  Do  you  believe  me,  Captain  ?  ' 

"  '  Yes,  Duncan,'  I  said,  '  I  believe  that  you  would  act 
differently  now.  But  if  you  want  to  redeem  this  act,  and 
prove  that  you  are  brave  at  heart,  you  must  hold  up  your 
head  and  look  people  squarely  in  the  face,  and  thrash  any 
man  that  hints  you  are  a  coward.  Why  I  know  men  that 
are  bigger  cowards  than  you  were,  who  are  bullying  their 
way  through  the  world,  creating  the  impression  that  they 
are  afraid  of  nothing.  Come  with  me.5  And  I  took  him 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  349 

to  a  clothing  store,  bought  him  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  handed 
him  five  dollars.  '  Now/  said  I,  '  go  take  a  bath  and  dress 
yourself,  and  go  to  work;  and  if  you  meet  any  of  the  boys, 
tell  them  that  you  have  reformed,  and  if  they  want  proof  of 
it,  to  take  off  their  coats  and  sail  in.'  The  poor  devil 
thanked  me  over  and  over  again  and  said  that  I  had  made 
a  man  of  him  and  that  he  would  obey  my  orders.  I  have 
not  seen  him  since,  but  believe  that  I  will  run  across  him 
some  day,  doing  well." 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  hour  appointed  for 
the  meeting,  our  party  reached  Pleasant  Grove,  which  con 
sisted  of  some  straggling  trees  in  the  valley,  near  the  river 
bank.  There  was  no  sign  of  preparation  visible,  and  not  a 
human  being  in  sight.  They  drove  all  around  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  could  not  find  a  single  man  to  act  as  auditor;  so 
they  withheld  their  arguments  and  oratory  in  reserve  for  a 
more  appreciative  community,  and  traveled  on  up  the  val 
ley,  and  turned  into  a  wooded  canon  where  a  friend,  Mr. 
Tompkins,  a  sheep  owner,  had  a  camp,  and  where  they 
expected  to  spend  the  night. 

Mr.  Tompkins  was  delighted  to  see  them,  saying  that 
his  mansion,  which  consisted  of  a  tent,  was  so  located  off  the 
usual  routes  of  travel,  that  it  was  not  often  he  had  the  op 
portunity  of  entertaining  distinguished  guests,  and  that 
their  presence  was  a  great  treat. 

"  You  know,"  said  Mr.  Tompkins,  "  that  sheep  herders, 
like  cobblers,  become  sometimes  very  intellectual,  and  de 
velop  into  philosophers,  but  their  conversational  powers  are 
limited,  and  the  sheep  dogs  are  better  company." 

"  Did  you  distribute  the  dodgers  the  committee  sent  you, 
publishing  the  meeting  at  Pleasant  Grove  ?  "  said  Ronca- 
dor. 

"  Certainly,  I  gave  them  to  the  squatter  preacher,  who 
said  he  would  see  that  they  circulated." 

"  Well,  we  drove  over  to  Pleasant  Grove,  and  there  was 
nobody  in  sight." 

"  You  don't  say  you  drove  way  over  to  Pleasant  Grove," 
exclaimed  Mr.  Tompkins.  "  Why  it's  five  miles  out  of 
your  way  to  camp  here." 

"  We  had  to  be  at  the  meeting,  'hadn't  we  ?  "  said 
Roncador. 


S50  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Had  to  be  at  the  meeting!  Well,  that's  the  best  joke 
I've  heard  in  the  country;  "  and  the  sheep  man  went  off  into 
convulsions  of  laughter.  "  Why,  man,  you  didn't  think 
anybody  would  be  there,  did  you  —  at  a  Republican  meet 
ing,  to  listen  to  union  speaking?  It's  lucky  for  you  that 
these  relics  of  Price's  army  didn't  go,  and  take  some  ropes 
with  them,  you  might  now  be  ornamenting  the  limbs  of  the 
trees  of  Pleasant  Grove.  They  might  have  been  tempted 
to  take  advantage  of  the  chance  to  string  up  a  bunch  of 
Yankees,  if  they  believed  that  there  was  to  be  a  meeting; 
but  I  told  the  preacher,  who  has  taken  a  fancy  to  me,  that 
of  course  it  was  a  joke.  But  you  really  thought  you  could 
hold  a  Republican  meeting  at  Pleasant  Grove?"  and  he 
went  off  into  another  fit. 

After  Mr.  Roncador  had  permitted  the  demijohn  to  be 
passed  around,  and  the  horses  were  unhitched  and  some  of 
the  dust  that  had  accumulated  on  the  roads  during  the  long 
summer  season  had  been  washed  from  their  hands  and 
faces,  the  men  sat  around  on  logs,  watching  a  band  of 
sheep  being  driven  into  camp,  and  admiring  the  work  of  a 
couple  of  thoroughbred  collies.  A  fat  wether  was  pointed 
out  in  the  band  for  slaughter,  and  as  he  passed  along, 
crowded  among  his  fellows,  a  sheep  herder  leaped  upon 
his  back,  caught  him  by  the  neck,  separated  him  from 
the  flock  and  led  him  off. 

Presently  the  figure  of  a  man  was  silhouetted  against 
the  sky,  above  the  horizon  beneath  which  the  sun  was  just 
sinking.  It  advanced  slowly  and  solemnly  up  to  where 
the  parties  were  gathered,  and  taking  off  its  hat,  said: 

"  Good  evening,  gentlemen.  We  have  come,  Mr.  Tomp- 
kins,  from  our  little  home,  as  you  requested,  to  meet  your 
friends." 

Mr.  Tompkins  introduced  the  new  arrival  to  his  visitors  as 
the  Reverend  Josiah  Jarves. 

"  This  gentleman,  Mr.  Thomas,"  he  said,  "  has  kindly 
volunteered  to  shelter  you  for  the  night,  as  there  is  hardly 
room  for  us  all  here  without  discomfort  to  town-bred 
folks." 

"  It  affords  us  great  pleasure  to  meet  you,  gentlemen, 
and  our  lowly  abode  is  at  your  service;  but  I  fear  our  fare 
is  somewhat  scant  for  one  who  has  journeyed  far." 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  351 

"  Oh,  I  have  a  leg  of  mutton  for  you ;  it  will  help  you 
out/'  said  Mr.  Tompkins. 

"We  thank  you,  Mr.  Tompkins,  it  is  very  good  of  you. 
Your  bounty  has  been  very  great  to  us,  and  we  are  re 
minded  in  you  of  the  Patriarchs  of  old,  and  we  pray  for 
the  blessings  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  on  your  flocks 
and  on  you  and  your  seed  for  generations." 

"  Better  confine  your  prayers,  parson,  to  the  increase  of 
the  sheep/'  replied  Mr.  Tompkins,  "  it's  too  late  to  find  any 
generations  for  me.  I'm  over  sixty,  and  have  so  far  dodged 
the  fruitful  ewes  of  ranches  and  rancherias  of  the  Cow 
Counties,  and  have  been  long  enough  in  the  cattle  and  sheep 
business  to  know  that  it's  better  to  be  the  last  of  a  good 
pedigree  than  to  keep  it  going  with  a  mongrel  mixture. 
Well,  Mr.  Thomas,  I  would  advise  you  to  start  out  with 
your  pious  host;  it  will  soon  be  dark,  and  you  have  some 
thing  of  a  walk;  your  friends  will  pick  you  up  in  the  morn 
ing.  Good  luck  to  you.  Parson,  here's  the  leg  of  mutton, 
it's  young  and  fat,  and  the  only  thing  that  will  be  against 
it,  when  you  and  your  guest  tackle  it,  is  that  it  is  a  trifle 
fresh." 

The  preacher  was  a  long,  thin,  pale-faced  South-west 
erner,  with  lack-lustre  blue  eyes,  straw-colored  hair,  and 
impoverished  beard,  straight  and  unbending  as  a  ramrod, 
and  slow  and  listless  in  his  movements.  In  speaking  of 
himself  he  always  used  the  plural  of  the  personal  pro 
noun.  His  habitation,  situated  out  in  the  plain,  with  not  a 
tree  or  plant  about  it,  was  a  one-roomed  cabin,  the  walls 
made  of  saplings  and  roof  thatched  with  brush.  Inside 
there  was  a  floor,  made  of  rough  boards,  and  two  narrow 
wooden  sleeping  bunks,  crudely  built  against  the  wall,  a 
rough  table  and  two  wooden  chairs.  Herman  was  reminded 
of  the  mode  of  life  of  John  the  Baptist.  All  the  preacher's 
provender,  outside  the  recent  gift  from  his  friend,  the 
sheep  man,  consisted  of  unleavened  bread  and  wild  honey, 
and  these  with  some  fried  slices  from  the  leg  of  mutton, 
made  up  the  supper  of  the  two  and  the  breakfast  next 
morning.  After  the  primitive  meal  was  disposed  of,  Her 
man  produced  a  tile  of  cavendish  tobacco,  and  cut  off 
enough  to  keep  the  preacher's  cob  pipe  and  his  own  briar 
going  during  the  evening,  and  handed  the  remainder  of  it 


352  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

to  his  companion,  to  retain,  saying  that  he  had  more  in 
his  bag.  The  preacher  questioned  Herman  earnestly  about 
himself,  and  particularly  concerning  his  education,  what 
schools  and  colleges  he  had  attended  and  what  books  he  had 
read  and  how  his  mind  acted,  whether  it  was  always  active 
and  bright,  or  if  it  got  tired  and  dull  at  times  and  so  torpid 
that  it  would  not  act  at  all.  He  was  eager  about  the  success 
Herman  had  had  in  his  studies,  and  then  he  drew  a  deep 
sigh  and  said: 

"  When  we  were  a  boy,  we  wanted  very  much  to  be  a 
scholar,  and  we  read  every  book  we  could  find.  There  were 
not  many  books  in  our  neighborhood,  and  the  school  was  not 
very  good;  but  we  got  along  very  well,  and  we  felt  happy, 
until  we  were  about  sixteen  years  old,  when  we  were  taken 
sick  with  a  fever.  We  were  not  very  strong  when  the  fever 
came;  you  see  we  had  not  much  to  live  on  in  the  mountains 
where  we  were  raised,  and  all  of  our  folks  were  run  down, 
and  the  fever  seemed  to  feed  on  our  brain;  and  when  it 
went  away,  it  left  something  the  matter  with  our  brain, 
and  we  could  not  study  any  more  without  getting  a  head 
ache  and  growing  very  tired;  and  we  could  not  remember 
things  the  way  we  used  to,  so  we  had  to  give  it  up,  and  we 
thought  we  would  do  what  we  could  in  the  Lord's  vine 
yard.  It  don't  require  any  learning  to  be  a  minister  with 
our  little  flock,  and  maybe  they  listen  to  us  and  understand 
us  better  than  if  we  knew  more.  If  our  brain  were  all 
right,  we  could  not  get  along  as  well  with  them ;  they  would 
want  us  to  be  an  avenger,  and  expect  us  to  help  in  what 
they  call  getting  even  on  people,  and  the  sight  of  blood 
and  the  thought  of  killing  people  make  us  very  sick  and 
our  brain  worse.  We  fear  we  do  not  bring  the  men,  only 
one  or  two  now  and  then,  near  to  the  Lord;  but  the  women 
folks,  especially  when  they  are  sick,  are  glad  to  have  us 
read  the  scriptures  to  them  and  tell  them  how  good  and 
kind  the  Lord  is,  and  how  He  loves  us  all  and  comforts 
and  consoles  us." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Herman,  "  that  we  all  want  to 
do  something  different  from  what  Providence  has  designed 
for  us.  If  you  had  become  a  scholar,  you  might  not  have 
been  able  to  do  so  much  real  good  as  you  are  doing  now." 

"  It  may  be  so,  and  we  are  resigned  to  what  the  Lord 


THE  WHITE  BEAN  353 

does  with  us,  though  it  was  very  hard  to  have  to  give  up 
our  studies.  We  would  like  very  much  to  build  a  little 
church  for  our  flock  here,  but  the  people  of  the  valley  are 
so  poor  that  it  will  be  very  difficult." 

This  afforded  Herman  the  opportunity  of  paying  some 
thing  for  his  board  and  lodging  and  contributing  his  mite 
towards  helping  the  church  project  along,  though  he  hoped 
that  it  might  be  appropriated  to  putting  a  little  more  color 
in  the  cheeks  and  flesh  on  the  bones  of  the  patient,  simple- 
minded,  devoted  angel  among  devils.  His  donation  was 
received  with  expressions  of  gratitude,  and  the  pleasure  of 
giving  was  keener  with  him  from  the  conviction  that  it  bore 
with  it  no  political  influence  in  that  hostile  community, 
which  was  verified  when  the  returns  came  in,  and  showed 
that,  out  of  thirty  votes  in  the  precinct,  Herman  received 
two,  one  that  of  the  good  parson,  and  the  other  cast  by  rea 
son  of  mistaken  identity,  the  voter  thinking  that  the  can 
didate  was  another  of  the  name,  a  neighboring  farmer. 

When  the  time  had  come  to  retire,  the  host  said  to  Her 
man: 

"  We  are  in  the  habit  of  having  family  worship  before 
retiring;  have  you  any  objection?  " 

Of  course,  Herman  replied  in  the  negative,  and  the  good 
man  read  a  chapter  from  his  bible ;  and  they  kneeled  down, 
and  he  prayed  for  his  friends  and  his  flock  and  his  enemies, 
and  for  blessings  on  the  earth  and  its  increase;  and  for 
the  growth  of  God's  kingdom  and  the  spread  of  grace,  very 
simply  and  sincerely;  and  closed  with  an  invocation  for 
Herman,  asking  that  his  campaign  might  end  in  success,  and 
that  he  might  be  able  to  do  much  good  in  his  office,  and  that, 
in  his  earthly  campaigns,  he  would  not  forget  the  greater 
and  nobler  one  of  the  Redeemer. 

Herman  saw  nothing  comical  in  his  simple  host  and  his 
speech  and  his  odd  ways ;  but  what  there  was  of  quaintness 
in  it  all  added  pathos  to  the  good  man's  lonely  life  and 
harsh  surrounding,  and  his  asking  the  divine  blessing  upon 
him  touched  him. 

The  cabin  seemed  to  have  about  it  the  sacredness  of  a 
hermit's  dwelling,  until  the  next  morning,  when,  his  com 
panions  and  Mr.  Tompkins  arrived,  and  Mr.  Roncador,  with 
his  demijohn  in  hand  —  he  was  afraid  to  leave  it  alone 


354  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

with  the  Captain  and  the  sheep  man  —  forced  himself 
in.  His  ungainly  proportions,  brazen  assurance  and  bellow 
ing  voice  took  away  all  the  sentimental  charm. 

"  We  are  accustomed  to  have  family  worship  in  the  morn 
ing/'  said  the  preacher;  "have  you  any  objection,  gentle 
men?  " 

The  Captain  and  Mr.  Tompkins  remained  outside,  but 
Herman  and  Mr.  Roncador  signified  their  acquiescence,  and 
the  latter  kneeled  down,  awkwardly  bracing  himself  over  a 
pile  of  candle  boxes,  clutching  his  demijohn  tightly.  Just  as 
the  preacher  had  concluded  and  said  amen,  and  Mr.  Ronca 
dor  attempted  to  regain  his  upright  position,  the  candle 
boxes  spread  out,  collapsed  and  precipitated  him  to  the  floor. 
His  demijohn  escaped  his  grasp,  the  cork  flew  out  and  a 
great  proportion  of  its  contents  escaped,  an  involuntary  liba 
tion  on  his  part.  With  a  desperate  struggle,  with  a  series 
of  growls,  sounding  wonderfully  like  smothered  profanity, 
it  was  rescued  by  its  owner.  The  incident  was  witnessed 
by  the  outsiders  and  the  Captain  said  to  the  preacher,  "  I 
should  have  warned  you  against  letting  that  wicked  old 
pagan  take  part  in  any  pious  services.  Whenever  his  foot 
touches  holy  ground  there  is  always  an  infernal  explosion." 

The  ex-sergeant,  without  making  reply,  recorked  his  demi 
john,  climbed  into  the  wagon  and  started  off,  leaving  the 
Captain  and  Herman  to  scramble  in  over  the  tail  board 
while  under  way.  They  canvassed  back  through  the  county, 
by  another  route,  and  from  thence  on  the  Captain  had  to 
find  another  fountain  at  which  to  quench  his  thirst  than 
the  sergeant's  demijohn. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

THE     ELECTION     RETURNS 

IT  was  not  until  the  second  day  after  election,  when  the 
returns  had  come  in  from  the  remote  precincts  beyond  the 
mountains,  that  the  result  of  the  vote  for  district  attorney 
was  definitely  known.  Herman  was  defeated  by  three 
votes.  He  was  beaten  by  the  combination  of  up-county 
landowners  with  the  squatters.  The  lower  part  of  the 
county,  including  the  town  of  Santa  Susana,  principally 
through  the  efforts  of  his  staunch  friends,  Robert  McFar- 
land,  the  Basques,  Italians  and  Gachupinos,  with  a  large 
squatter  vote  to  overcome,  sent  him  across  the  river,  towards 
St.  Agnes,  considerably  in  the  lead  of  his  opponent;  and 
St.  Agnes  and  the  adjoining  country,  despite  the  disaffec 
tion  of  soured  Republicans  and  the  casting  of  the  purchas 
able  native  vote  by  Buckley  and  Vanegas  for  his  opponent, 
gave  him  a  handsome  majority.  It  was  a  gratification  to 
him  and  his  friends  that  he  ran  considerably  ahead  of  his 
ticket,  whatever  consolation  that  may  be  to  one  who  has 
suffered  defeat.  The  Democratic  candidates  for  the  Senate 
and  assembly  were  elected;  the  former  by  a  very  handsome 
maj  ority,  and  the  latter  by  one  large  enough  to  demonstrate 
that  he  would  have  won  without  the  unhallowed  alliance  be 
tween  landowners  and  squatters.  Mr.  Miller,  the  candi 
date  for  sheriff,  ran  considerably  behind  Herman,  owing,  in 
a  great  measure,  to  the  race  loyalty  of  the  native  Califor- 
nians  to  his  opponent,  one  of  their  people.  Capt.  Scanlan 
attributed  the  defeat  of  the  Republican  state  ticket  to  the 
bullheadedness  and  stupidity  of  Roncador.  He  told  Fin 
land  that,  with  all  his  political  experience,  cunning  and  un 
scrupulous  methods  in  the  interest  of  himself  and  the 
party,  the  State  Central  Committee  would  be  justified  in 
firing  him,  for  letting  the  local  organization  be  run  by  a 
braying,  brainless,  bullying  old  ass,  who  had  been  kicked  out 
of  the  army  as  a  nuisance. 

355 


556  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

The  bolters  and  Buckley  were  jubilant  over  the  defeat 
of  Herman,  though  they  awkwardly  tried  to  conceal  it, 
much  more  jubilant  than  his  victorious  opponent,  who  came 
to  him  in  a  quiet,  manly  way  and  told  him  that  he  appre 
ciated  and  thanked  him  for  the  kind  and  courteous  manner 
with  which  he  had  conducted  his  campaign,  refraining  from 
any  attack  upon  or  criticism  of  him,  and  he  hoped  that  they 
would  always  be  good  friends.  Herman  was  quite  touched 
with  his  words  and  the  sincere  feeling  he  displayed  in  their 
expression,  and  they,  though  differing  in  personality  in 
nearly  every  respect,  were  ever  after  good  friends. 

When  the  Board  of  Supervisors  convened  to  canvass  the 
returns  it  was  found  that  the  elections  held  at  two  of  the 
squatter  precincts  were  absolutely  illegal  and  void,  and 
needed  only  the  motion  of  Herman  to  have  the  returns 
thrown  out,  which  would  have  secured  his  election  by  a  good 
majority.  He  was  urged  by  a  number  to  take  this  step, 
who  claimed  that  he  was  clearly  the  choice  of  the  people  at 
any  rate,  as  it  was  an  open  secret  that  votes  were  cast 
against  him  by  several  men  who  were  not  citizens  or  resi 
dents  of  the  county.  Finland  said  that  the  party  demanded 
that  the  illegal  returns  be  rejected,  even  if  the  votes  were 
honestly  cast  by  qualified  electors ;  that  the  law,  and  not  any 
squeamish  idea  of  equity,  controlled,  when  the  law  benefited 
the  Republican  party.  Judge  Freeman  and  Col.  Morgan 
gave  no  advice;  they  said  that  it  was  a  matter  which  should 
be  left  to  the  one  to  be  benefited  to  decide  in  accordance 
with  his  own  ideas  of  propriety;  Judge  Freeman,  however, 
offering  to  act  for  him  in  demanding  the  rejection  of  the 
illegal  returns.  Herman  in  the  hour  he  had  within  which  to 
come  to  a  decision,  took  a  stroll  to  the  beach,  and  fought 
out  the  battle  alone.  He  was  ambitious,  and  believed  that 
he  could  make  a  reputation  in  the  conduct  of  the  office  that 
would  lead  to  higher  distinction.  He  abhorred  defeat 
and  felt  chagrined  over  it ;  he  had  been  a  prize  winner  in 
his  student  days.  His  being  beaten  was  a  source  of  ex 
ultation  to  his  enemies  which  was  hard  for  him  to  bear. 
His  position  would  be  an  aid  to  him  in  securing  justice 
in  the  important  litigation  connected  with  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Rancho.  The  salary  of  the  office  or  an  equivalent  from 
some  source  was  necessary  to  him;  he  had  spent  much  more 


THE  ELECTION  RETURNS  85? 

money  than  he  should;  his  practice  was  at  the  time  not 
very  remunerative;  his  cattle  speculation  was  showing  how 
much  of  truth  there  was  in  the  doubts  of  the  Highlander, 
the  expenses  being  much  heavier  than  he  anticipated,  and 
loss  by  accident  and  disease  had  occurred;  and  Cholo 
did  not  prove  the  satisfactory  major-domo  he  was  under 
the  experienced  eye  and  thrifty  control  of  Bebeleche,  and 
the  price  of  beef  cattle  had  materially  depreciated.  His 
debts  had  grown  to  be  a  mortification  to  him.  He  was  con 
vinced  in  his  own  mind  that  he  was  elected  by  the  legal 
voters  of  the  county;  that  he  would  be  morally  as  well 
as  legally  justified  in  having  the  void  returns  thrown  out. 
Then,  there  was,  in  addition  to  these  urgent  inducements 
pressing  him  to  claim  the  prize  he  believed  he  had  won, 
more  subtly  powerful  than  all  the  others,  and  sufficient  in  it 
self,  without  other  reason  and  influences,  to  sway  his  deci 
sion,  if  there  were  not  some  loftier  opposing  force  that  de 
manded  the  sacrifice  of  self,  the  privilege  of  appearing 
as  a  victor  before  one  whose  words  of  congratulation  would 
be  sweeter  to  him  than  all  else  the  honor  could  bring,  and 
whose  sympathy  and  appreciation  would  be  an  inspiration 
in  the  performance  of  his  duty  and  a  safeguard  against 
swerving.  When  his  reason  had  been  convinced  that  he 
might  justly  claim  the  office  bestowed  upon  him  by  his 
fellow  citizens  as  his  own,  he  thought  of  his  opponent,  his 
poverty,  his  large  family ;  of  how,  taking  it  for  granted  that 
he  himself  was  the  victor,  he  had  come  to  him,  so  in 
genuously  and  considerately,  with  all  the  manliness  and 
benignity  of  a  nobleman;  and  could  he  take  from  him 
what  perhaps  he  and  his  family  were  now  thanking  God 
for  giving  him ;  and  could  he  extinguish  the  kindly  feeling 
this  simple,  honest  man  had  displayed  and  was  cherishing 
in  his  heart  towards  him?  Then  again,  in  those  particular 
precincts  the  votes  of  which  would  be  nullified,  if  the  re 
turns  be  rejected  because  of  the  illegal  conduct  of  the 
election,  every  vote  cast  may  have  been  by  a  qualified 
elector,  whose  disfranchisement  would  hardly  be  compen 
sated  by  the  fact  that  illegal  votes  were  cast  by  others 
for  the  one  for  whom  they  had  voted.  Lastly,  he  said  to 
himself,  would  she  not  appreciate,  noble  and  unselfish  as 
she  herself  is,  more  than  his  triumph  over  his  competitor, 


358  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

an  act  of  self-sacrifice  on  his  part.  The  mental  contest  was 
over,  he  returned  to  where  the  votes  were  being  canvassed, 
and  announced  to  the  Board  that  he  had  no  objection  to 
make  to  the  returns,  and  would  enter  no  contest.  As  he 
turned  away,  his  successful  competitor  grasped  his  hand 
with  both  of  his,  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  said: 

"  I  thank  you,  Thomas ;  you  are  a  good,  true  man ; 
and  I  knew  you  would  do  what  you  have  done." 

Hill  here  came  lumbering  up  and  said: 

"  Thomas,  I  want  to  shake  hands  with  you.  I  guess 
you  know  I  didn't  do  much  for  you  in  the  campaign.  I 
was  sore  at  being  beaten  by  a  tenderfoot  I  thought  was  one 
of  these  eastern  milksops;  but  if  the  campaign  could  be 
done  over  again,  I  would  take  off  my  coat  and  work  for 
you;  there  isn't  another  cuss  running  for  office  in  the 
county  that  would  have  been  man  enough  to  do  what  you 
have  just  done,  and  I  am  not  too  much  of  a  coward  to  own 
up  that  I  didn't  know  you  and  did  you  wrong." 

Herman  laughed  and  said  that  he  did  not  see  how  he 
could  have  felt  like  working  for  him. 

Sigismund  and  Finland,  who  were  in  attendance  at  the 
count,  walked  away  together.  Sigismund  had  a  grave  ex 
pression  on  his  face  rarely  seen  by  the  outside  world.  In 
a  moment  or  two,  Finland  said: 

"  I  told  you  he  was  fresh,  but  I  had  no  idea  that  he 
was  such  a  d — d  fool." 

"  Finland,"  replied  Sigismund,  "  do  not  deceive  yourself ; 
on  the  home  stretch,  when  all  your  wires  are  rusted  and 
snapped,  and  you  are  left  behind  on  your  own  garbage 
pile  of  broken  schemes  and  rotten  jobs,  he  will  be  in  the 
lead,  with  principle  as  a  spur,  fortified  by  a  clean  con 
science,  crowned  with  success,  and  happiness  in  his  heart." 
And  then  he  exclaimed  to  himself: 

"  Oh,  if  moral  courage  were  only  as  easily  invoked  as 
physical  bravery;  if  one  could  be  as  dauntless  in  resisting 
the  assaults  upon  the  nobility  of  his  nature,  as  bold  in  facing 
a  human  foe !  "  Leaving  Finland  abruptly,  he  hurried  on 
to  his  rooms,  and  a  few  minutes  later,  as  Herman  was 
passing  by  he  was  arrested  and  held  spell-bound  by  the 
plaintive  voice  of  his  violin,  in  Rossini's  divine  "  Cujus 
Animam,"  and  he  imagined  he  heard  the  angelic  notes  of 


THE  ELECTION  RETURNS  359 

Mario  throbbing  heavenward.  When  the  hymn  died  away 
in  a  sigh,  and  he  walked  dreamily  along,  he  seemed  more 
impressed  than  ever  with  the  mystery  that  lurked  in  the 
life  of  this  elf-like  being. 

All  chagrin  and  soreness  over  his  defeat  disappeared 
from  Herman's  heart  when  he  renounced  all  claim  to  the 
office,  and  he  felt  relieved  and  contented. 

All  Herman's  friends  felt  very  badly  over  his  defeat. 
Baron  Municheisen  had  taken  it  for  granted  that  he  would 
be  elected,  so  many  good  friends  he  seemed  to  have.  He 
had  come  to  town  with  his  wife  to  spend  the  night,  and  had 
brought  his  cello  to  have  a  little  music  at  Col.  Morgan's 
to  celebrate  the  triumph. 

They  displayed  more  chagrin  than  did  he  over  the  re 
sult  of  the  election,  and  the  most  of  them,  among  them 
Martha,  appreciated  his  act  of  self  denial  and  told  him 
that  he  stood  higher,  if  it  could  be,  in  their  estimation 
than  if  he  had  come  victor  from  the  contest. 


CHAPTER  XL 

SAN    FRANCISCO     IN     THE     'SIXTIES 

THE  Occidental  Hotel  was  the  most  comfortable,  the  most 
home-like,  the  best  kept  hostelry  in  the  San  Francisco  of 
the  days  of  these  chronicles,  and  in  personnel  the  most 
select,  from  Monsieur  Andre,  the  chef,  the  artist  of  the 
admirable  cuisine,  to  Count  Schmidt,  the  stately  chief 
clerk,  with  his  symmetrically  trimmed  favoris,  his  dazzling 
diamond  shirt  stud,  his  sidewise  pose  and  deliberate  hand 
shake;  and  then  quietly  superintending  the  entire  concern, 
his  lank  body  moving  slowly  about,  gliding  in  and  out 
through  crevices  in  doorways  and  narrow  spaces  between 
pieces  of  furniture,  with  his  thoroughbred  dogs  and  love 
of  sport,  the  venerable  McShane,  who  was  more  like  the  host 
in  a  private  mansion  than  the  manager  of  a  popular  hotel. 
There  was  an  air  of  warmth  and  good  fellowship,  as 
well  as  respectability,  throughout  the  establishment,  that 
captivated  the  stranger  and  endeared  it  as  a  home  to  the 
permanent  guest.  The  men  had  an  affection  for  Mike,  the 
sturdy  and  good-humored  porter,  and  the  women  became 
attached  to  the  honest,  hard-working  and  merry-hearted 
chambermaids.  It  was  the  rendezvous  of  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy  and  coast  survey,  and  all  the  distinguished 
visitors  from  foreign  ports  to  the  queen  city  of  the  Pacific 
found  their  way  to  its  shelter.  Everyone  that  came  to  San 
Francisco  from  abroad  was  taken  to  the  Lick  House  dining 
room,  as  one  of  the  sights,  to  admire  its  handsome  wood 
work;  but  the  connoisseurs  and  bon  vivants  confined  them 
selves  to  admiring  its  beauty,  returning  to  dine  at  the 
Occidental.  To  perfect  its  table  and  minister  to  the  palates 
of  admirable  judges  of  the  fruit  of  wine-press  and  still, 
the  wine  cellar  and  the  bar  were  unexcelled,  and  the  choicest 
vintages  came  upon  the  table;  and  over  the  counter  of  the 
soberly  kept  bar,  which  was  faced  by  a  tempting  free 
lunch  table,  were  served  by  proper  gentlemen  of  education, 


SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  THE  'SIXTIES         361 

who  would  converse  with  you  on  literary  and  scientific 
topics,  the  most  skilfully  compounded  and  delicately 
flavored  beverages  of  modern  art.  The  navy  men  felt 
peculiarly  at  home;  for  the  decks  of  their  ships  were  not 
more  conscientiously  holy-stoned  than  were  scrubbed  the 
floors  and  steps  of  the  Occidental,  and  an  early  riser  had 
to  have  his  sea  legs  on  of  mornings  in  threading  his  way 
through  the  brigade  of  scrub-women.  In  those  days  the 
corner  of  Montgomery  and  Bush,  where  the  hotel  stood, 
was  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  its  shops  and  places  of  en 
joyment  and  entertainment.  A  few  doors  below  its  portal, 
if  you  were  fond  of  beautiful  artisanship  in  silver  and  gold 
or  had  a  fancy  for  rare  gems,  and  a  pocket  book  to  gratify 
it,  in  Shreve's  then  unostentatious  shop  you  could  pick 
up  things  of  beauty  that  often  cast  in  the  shade  the  crea 
tions  of  Tiffany;  and  in  a  narrow  radius  about  it,  if 
Bohemian  in  your  tastes,  were  restaurants  where  you  could 
regale  yourself  on  dainties  as  perfectly  cooked  and  as 
artistically  served  as  in  Paris  or  Rome.  And  if  you  wanted 
a  laugh,  certainly  there  were  none  better  able  to  conjure 
the  heartiest  one  than  Billy  Birch  and  Backus,  on  Bush 
Street,  a  few  steps  away;  while  to  the  lover  of  song  there 
was  close  by  nearly  always  a  comic  opera,  sung  with  spirit 
and  vivacity  by  good  singers;  and  it  was  but  a  short 
stroll  to  the  old  California  Theater,  where,  in  those  halcyon 
days,  there  was  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  playgoer  a  standard 
play  by  an  excellent  stock  company.  Wallack  or  Daven 
port,  in  his  zenith,  at  the  Chestnut,  never  had  a  better 
stock  company  than  boasted  the  old  California  some  few 
years  later,  when  MacCullough,  Barrett,  Harry  Edwards, 
Raymond,  Mrs.  Judah  and  kindred  stars  were  familiar  fig 
ures  on  the  stage.  Then,  a  block  away  was  Pine  Street, 
the  Wall  Street  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  with  its  fevered  crowd 
of  jostling  men  and  women,  who,  of  all  classes,  races 
and  nationalities,  seemed  to  know  each  other  and  call 
each  other  by  name  or  by  some  familiar  expression,  or 
soubriquet.  Above  Montgomery  was  the  entrance  to  the 
California  Market,  that  great  bazar  of  flesh  and  fowl 
and  game,  and  fish  and  shell  fish;  and  vegetables  and 
luscious  fruits,  of  mammoth  proportions,  and  plants  and 
flowers;  and  snug,  if  crude,  breakfast  and  lunch  stalls  and 


362  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

grills,  where  any  choice  morsel,  the  product  of  land  or 
water,  that  addressed  itself  to  one's  appetite  would  be 
cooked  to  order,  done  to  a  turn,  and  served  hot,  with 
tempting  relishes  and  any  beverage  one  might  think  the 
appropriate  accompaniment.  Walking  a  block  up  Bush 
Street  from  The  Occidental,  you  came  to  the  great  shopping 
street  and  evening  promenade  of  the  populace,  Kearney 
Street,  then  what  Market  Street  is  to-day.  As  soon 
as  the  street  lamps  were  lit  and  the  stores  lighted  up, 
along  this  thoroughfare  a  dense  throng  of  bright-faced, 
merry-hearted  people,  with  look  of  health  in  their  cheeks 
and  strength  and  vigor  in  figure  and  movement,  streamed 
up  and  down  from  California  Street  to  Market,  affording 
infinite  interest  and  entertainment  to  the  observer  and  stu 
dent  of  human  nature,  in  the  conduct,  speech,  actions  and 
antics  of  the  people  of  diverse  race  and  nationality,  that 
slept  in  dwelling  houses  and  had  their  home  on  the  streets 
and  in  eating  houses,  and  constituted  the  population  of 
this  fascinating  cosmopolitan  city.  Here  you  would  be  sure 
to  see,  if  you  spent  any  time  on  the  promenade,  Emperor 
Norton,  in  his  imperial  costume,  stepping  out  from  some 
saloon  with  free  lunch  counter  attachment,  or  posing  on 
some  corner,  or  striding  in  dignity  along  the  street,  every 
now  and  then  greeted  with  mock  veneration  and  an  obei 
sance  from  some  acquaintances.  It  may  be,  if  you  had  an 
eye  for  celebrities,  you  would  recognize  in  a  tall,  long 
haired,  self-conscious,  unkempt  creature,  with  a  red  neck 
tie,  Joaquin  Miller,  the  poet  of  the  Sierra;  and,  if  in 
the  company  of  a  Bohemian,  familiar  with  the  city's  odd 
geniuses,  you  would  come  across  and  be  introduced  to  the 
old  swashbuckler,  Col.  Cremony,  in  his  military  slouch 
hat  and  Spanish  mantle,  with  his  fierce  look  and  Mephisto- 
phelian  moustache  and  imperial;  and  have  the  distinction 
of  asking  him  to  take  a  drink,  and  hear  him  let  off  a  volley 
of  choice  oaths  and  see  him  defy  hell  —  and  anybody  that 
felt  like  doubting  his  prowess  and  taking  a  trip  there  —  by 
slashing  space  with  his  bowie-knife,  and  sweeping  the  hori 
zon  with  his  revolver. 

When  you  tired  of  the  nomadic  crowd  on  Kearney  Street, 
you  could  stroll  back  to  Montgomery,  a  few  blocks  below 


SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  THE  'SIXTIES         363 

the  Occidental,  into  a  small  district  that  stretched  to  San- 
some,  where  you  would  find  centered  the  most  of  the  news 
paper  offices  and  printing,  publication  and  press  rooms. 
In  this  neighborhood  were  little  restaurants  and  chophouses, 
each  noted  for  some  peculiar  culinary  product,  such  as 
macaroni,  ravioles,  a  rare  fish  or  a  choice  chop,  savory  be 
yond  the  ordinary.  Herman  had  a  love  for  this  quarter  of 
Bohemia;  it  had  a  fascination  for  him,  and  he  made  nightly 
visits  to  city  editors  and  reporters,  hobnobbed  with  printers' 
devils  and  newsboys,  poked  his  nose  into  composing  rooms 
and  watched  the  human-like  laboring  of  the  presses.  In 
deed,  in  all  its  aspects  old  San  Francisco  had  a  charm  for 
Herman,  wrought  when  he  first  passed  through  the  Golden 
Gate,  that  never  lost  its  gentle  hold,  and  brought  sadness 
to  him  long  years  afterwards  when  its  old  land-marks  and 
monuments,  the  Occidental  among  them,  crumbled  to  ashes. 
He  found  romance  in  its  climbing  streets,  with  their  chang 
ing  vistas  of  wilderness  of  structures;  of  mountain,  land 
scape  and  ocean ;  the  variety  and  quaintness  and  picturesque- 
ness  of  its  homes,  palaces  and  humble  cottages  elbowing 
each  other,  standing  like  the  guyascucos  of  John  Phoenix 
that  traveled  the  hill  slopes,  one  leg  shorter  than  the  other; 
and  in  the  people  of  all  races  and  attire  that  went  in  and 
out  them  and  played  and  sung  and  talked  in  their  door 
ways  and  areas,  and  in  the  muscular,  plump,  rosy-cheeked 
women  that  won  health  and  strength  in  the  steep  descent 
and  ascent  from  dwelling  house  to  shop;  and  in  the  prom 
enades  and  drives  inland  and  upon  the  bay  shore;  the 
Cliff  House  —  with  its  surf-beaten  rocks,  alive  and  sonor 
ous  with  their  native  race  the  sea-lions  —  and  its  jovial  pro 
prietor,  Foster,  prince  of  landlords  and  student  of  man 
and  caterer  to  his  bodily  wants  and  comforts.  But  above 
all,  what  made  so  subtle  the  charm  was  the  universal  spirit 
of  generosity  and  hospitality,  the  warm  good-fellowship, 
that  reached  into  the  marts  of  trade,  and  kept  for  years 
outside  its  borders  half-dimes  and  pennies  and  the  Yankees 
that  profited  by  their  use.  It  was  before  mediocrity,  forti 
fied  by  wealth  and  manipulated  through  corruption,  had 
usurped  the  throne  of  California,  and  in  the  bar  and  political 
circles  there  was  the  atmosphere  of  intellectuality,  supreme 


364  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

talent  and  brilliancy,  enriched  with  the  pioneer's  wide  ex 
perience  and  judgment  of  human  nature,  that  gave  dignity 
and  character  to  social  and  political  intercourse. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Thomas ;  I  am  glad  to  see  you, 
Mr.  Sigismund ;  and  how  is  business  in  St.  Agnes  ?  "  said 
Count  Schmidt,  who  never  forgot  a  name,  a  face  or  a  man's 
calling,  as  Herman  and  Sigismund  one  morning  registered 
their  names  at  the  Occidental.  It  was  near  noon  when  they 
handed  Mike  their  valises  and  were  assigned  rooms  by  the 
Count.  They  should  have  been  there  the  evening  before, 
but  their  steamer  was  commanded  by  that  cautious  skipper, 
Capt.  Johnson,  who  for  many  a  year  had  smashed  wharves, 
broken  bowsprits  and  cursed  crews  trying  to  come  to  his 
moorings,  in  the  steamship  company's  service  on  the  Cal 
ifornia  coast,  and  because  of  a  mild  fog,  hanging  over  the 
portals  of  the  Golden  Gate  at  sundown,  ignored  the  pro 
testations  of  the  irate  passengers  and  treated  them  to  an 
other  night  and  morning  aboard. 

Hardly  had  Mike  deposited  the  luggage  and  vanished 
when  Mr.  Howells  appeared. 

"  How  are  you,  gentlemen  ?  Excuse  my  abruptness  and 
jumping  right  into  business,  but  there  is  no  time  to  lose. 
I  expected  you  last  night  but  I  knew  there  was  no  de 
pending  on  that  old  landlubber  Johnson,  so  I  arranged  a 
meeting  for  you,  Thomas,  with  my  philanthropic  friend, 
Michael  Reese,  at  noon  to-day,  and  we  must  keep  it 
promptly,  for  he  gets  to  his  free  lunch  counter  before  half- 
past  twelve.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr.  Sigismund,  hunt  up  your 
friend  Espinosa,  and  make  an  appointment  to  meet  him  in 
Brooks'  office  to  talk  about  ranch  supplies  or  anything  else 
you  may  suggest  at  two  o'clock.  Mr.  Thomas  will  drop 
in  at  that  hour  to  make  Brooks  a  tender,  and  it  is  im 
portant  that  you  be  present  and  witness  what  takes  place. 
Be  on  hand  in  any  event,  whether  you  see  Espinosa  or 
not.  Join  us  at  lunch  at  half-past  twelve  at  Frank  Gar- 
cia's;  you  know  where  it  is,  Montgomery  below  Merchant. 
And  now,  Mr.  Thomas,  we  must  be  off.  I  will  pick  you  up 
on  the  corner,"  and  he  disappeared  as  suddenly  as  he  had 
appeared.  Herman  and  Sigismund  went  down  together, 
and  going  out  of  the  hotel  found  him  standing  on  the  corner 
opposite.  He  informed  Herman  that  he  had  made  the 


SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  THE  'SIXTIES         365 

proposition  to  advance  the  money  for  Antonio  Castaiios, 
upon  the  terms  he  had  suggested  to  Michael  Reese,  a 
well  known  character  of  San  Francisco,  a  money  loaner  who 
had  grown  more  wealthy  than  his  fellow  misers  in  other 
fields,  as  he  hoarded  dimes  instead  of  pennies.  Michael's 
office  consisted  of  two  small  rooms  in  the  second  story 
of  an  old  building,  in  which  were  a  desk  and  a  few  chairs. 
He  greeted  Herman  in  a  friendly  way  and  seemed  wonder 
fully  affable  and  softspoken.  He  questioned  him  in  an 
apparently  indifferent  manner  about  Antonio's  case,  draw 
ing  out,  however,  every  little  detail;  then  he  said: 

"  Mr.  Thomas,  this  is  a  big  sum  of  money ;  do  you  feel 
sure  of  winning  this  case  ?  " 

"  As  sure  as  one  can  be  of  winning  a  lawsuit." 

"  You're  right  in  saying  that,"  he  replied ;  "  you  may 
have  law  and  justice  and  the  facts  on  your  side  and  yet  a 
miserable  jury  of  loafers  rob  you.  Just  think,  Howells, 
of  that  lying  woman  getting  five  thousand  dollars  out  of 
me.  Breach  of  promise?  Why  I  never  make  promises, 
you  know,  that  are  not  down  in  black  and  white  and  wit 
nessed." 

"You  got  off  easy,  Michael,"  said  Howells;  "the  jury 
might  have  used  your  rate  of  interest  in  making  up  the 
verdict  and  assessed  you  ten  times  as  much." 

"  Well,  you're  a  young  man,  Mr.  Thomas,"  continued 
Michael,  "  and  you  are  ambitious  and  I  think  will  work 
very  hard  to  win,  and  I  like  to  see  young  men  get  ahead. 
I  made  John  B.  Felton.  I  gave  him  his  first  case  and 
started  him  ahead.  Do  you  know  John  B.  Felton  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Herman,  '*  we  all  know  this  bril- 
"liant  and  scholarly  lawyer.  Many  regard  him  as  the  head 
of  the  California  bar." 

"  Well,  I  made  him.  But  he  spends  too  much  money. 
Oh,  my  God,  how  he  throws  money  away.  Young  man,  be 
saving,  and  some  day  the  world  will  be  coming  to  you  for 
help,  instead  of  you  begging  from  others.  I  will  let  you 
have  the  money.  Let  me  see  your  power  of  attorney  and 
the  note  and  obligation  you  have  drawn." 

After  their  inspection,  which  was  satisfactory,  and  the 
note  and  obligation  had  been  filled  in  and  signed,  he 
handed  Herman  a  check,  saying: 


366  ROMANCfi  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  I  expect  you  to  beat  that  scoundrel  Brooks,  and  I  lend 
this  money  more  to  have  him  beaten  than  to  make  the 
profit  on  it.  He  has  robbed  me  and  is  scheming  to  rob 
me  more,  and  it  will  do  my  heart  good  and  make  my  fight 
easier  if  you  can  show  him  up  as  the  unconscionable  rascal 
he  is." 

From  Michael's,  Herman  and  Howells  betook  themselves 
to  Frank  Garcia's,  the  former  greatly  elated  over  pro 
curing  the  money  necessary  to  enable  Antonio  to  make  his 
attack  upon  Brooks. 

"  No  wonder,"  said  Howells,  "  Michael  speaks  feelingly 
of  Felton's  spendthrift  habits,  for  he  generally  is  called 
upon  to  replenish  his  exchequer  when  exhausted.  Although 
he  has  more  than  once  refused  to  pay  Felton's  fare  on 
the  street  cars  and  would  not  lend  him  four  bits  to  buy 
a  lunch,  he  will  honor  his  draft  for  several  hundred 
dollars  at  a  time,  half  crying  as  he  pays  it,  and  charging 
it  up  to  him  with  interest,  knowing  at  the  same  time  that 
it  is  a  piece  of  idle  bookkeeping.  Once  only  he  called 
Felton's  attention  to  the  large  sums  he  had  advanced  him, 
and  was  told  in  reply  that  it  was  all  right,  that  he  would 
give  him  credit  for  it  on  his  account  for  professional 
services,  and  Michael  concluded  that  it  was  the  best  policy 
to  say  nothing  further." 

Having  entered  the  bar  of  Frank's  popular  cafe  and 
restaurant,  Howells  said,  "  Mr.  Thomas,  permit  me  to 
introduce  you  to  my  friend,  Frank  Garcia,  the  best  caterer 
in  the  city,  who  knows  how  to  minister  to  the  fastidious 
palates  of  the  United  States  judges  and  the  members  of 
the  Coast  Survey,  the  post-master  and  all  the  epicures  of 
the  government  buildings  close  by.  Dr.  Hammond,  the 
Maryland  bon  vivant,  says  that  he  is  the  only  man  in  the 
business  that  knows  just  how  much  longer  a  drake  should 
be  roasted  than  a  duck,  and  if  he  would  only  take  the 
trouble  to  learn  to  cook  yellow  legged  chickens  and  white 
sop,  it  would  be  the  best  restaurant  in  the  country." 

Herman  looked  around,  but  did  not  see  any  party  that 
seemed  to  respond  to  Howells'  introduction,  when,  glanc 
ing  downwards,  his  eyes  rested  on  a  great  round  head 
covered  with  a  heavy  fleece  of  white  hair,  with  a  broad, 
good-natured  face,  an  expansive  smile,  and  twinkling  eyes, 


SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  THE  'SIXTIES         367 

nodding  to  him  graciously,  just  above  the  counter,  along 
side  the  globe  of  goldfish. 

"  And  here's  another  friend/'  said  Howells,  as  Sigis- 
mund  came  in.  "  We  three  want  a  number  one  lunch ;  some 
terrapin  cooked  by  your  own  hand,  and  a  bottle  of  that 
wine  of  Portugal  you  brag  so  much  of;"  and  he  lead  the 
way  to  the  end  of  the  bar  and  back  of  the  long  dining- 
room  where  the  crowd  congregated,  into  a  clean,  bright 
court  yard  with  old-fashioned  lattice  work  screens  and  lined 
with  cosy  booths  where  private  parties  could  enjoy  a  deli 
cious  repast  in  happy  seclusion.  The  big  head  mounted  on  a 
short,  compact,  perpendicular  pedestal,  that  seemed  to  strain 
itself  upwards  to  carry  its  great  burden  with  dignity, 
appeared  with  a  wasp-built  waiter  with  lightning  like 
movements,  who,  on  a  nod  from  the  proprietor,  in  a  flash 
whisked  everything  from  the  table  in  one  of  the  booths, 
rolled  the  table  cloth  into  a  ball  and  shot  it  across  the 
court  into  some  hidden  receptacle,  whisked  on  a  clean  one, 
replaced  the  table  furniture  in  a  jiffy  and  dealt  a  hand  of 
napkins  as  a  juggler  would  a  hand  of  cards,  and  stepped 
aside  for  the  gentlemen  to  take  their  places;  quickly  re 
appearing  with  a  bottle  of  Italian  and  one  of  French  ver 
mouth  and  a  flagon  of  orange  bitters  and  glasses  for  the 
appetizers.  The  terrapin  took  Herman  back  to  a  Phila 
delphia  cellar  he  used  to  visit  when  his  pocketbook  justified, 
and  had  the  flavor  he  thought  only  could  be  imparted  by  a 
Pennsylvania  or  Maryland  darkey,  and  he  asked  Frank 
what  gentleman  of  color  he  had  learned  the  secret  from. 
The  colossal  head  simply  smiled  and  made  no  reply. 

During  luncheon,  Howells  discussed  with  Herman  the 
course  to  pursue  with  Brooks,  and  instructed  Sigismund 
in  the  part  he  should  play,  telling  him  at  the  same  time  not 
to  let  a  word  or  act  of  any  party  present  escape  him. 

There  was  not  much  time  to  spare  and  they  could  not 
linger  over  the  excellent  meal,  as  Frank's  skill  deserved, 
and  had  to  half  enjoy  their  Havanas  on  the  street.  As 
they  passed  out  the  bar-room  door,  another  figure  glided 
out  from  the  public  dining  room,  shuffled  rapidly  by  them, 
giving  a  quick  glance  from  a  pair  of  sharp  eyes,  which 
rested  a  few  seconds  upon  Howell's  face.  Herman  de 
tected  in  the  latter's  countenance  a  faint  expression  of 


368  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

recognition,  but  it  was  only  instantaneous,  and  he  made  no 
return  to  the  glance.  Both  Herman  and  Sigismund  were 
struck  with  the  grotesque  figure.  He  was  a  man  whose 
age  it  was  difficult  to  tell.  He  was  clad  in  a  suit  of 
seedy  black,  with  long  tailed  coat,  and  short  narrow  trousers, 
that  were  drawn  like  tights  over  a  pair  of  legs  resembling 
the  prongs  of  a  wish-bone,  and  beneath  them  his  great 
feet,  shod  with  heavy  soled,  square-toed  shoes,  stuck  out, 
surmounted  by  a  pair  of  rusty  gaiters.  His  coat  curved 
ove%r  a  back  with  a  little  hunch  upon  it.  His  head,  with 
its  luxuriant  dark  hair  tinged  with  gray,  rested  at  an  angle 
on  his  shoulders,  and  his  saffron  colored  face,  with  sharp 
nose  and  thin  lips,  displayed  no  particle  of  emotion.  He 
was  clown-like  in  his  movements,  gracefully  ungainly,  and 
cumbersomely  agile,  and,  without  any  appearance  of  hurry, 
was  in  the  center  of  the  next  block  before  our  friends  had 
reached  the  corner.  When  he  was  at  a  safe  distance, 
Howells  said: 

"  You  will  see  that  man  again  presently,  and  he  will 
know  you  when  you  put  in  your  appearance,  even  if  his 
back  is  to  you,  and  if  he  should  meet  you  in  ten  years 
from  now  in  a  crowd  on  the  Strand,  he  would  recognize  you. 
That  is  Brooks'  present  confidential  clerk,  the  one  who  has 
stepped  into  Espinosa's  shoes.  Keep  your  eye  on  him,  and 
you  may  be  sure  he  has  his  on  you,  and  no  whisper  escapes 
his  ears." 

On  the  corner  of  California  Street,  Sigismund  parted  with 
his  companions,  while  they  betook  themselves  to  a  bank, 
to  procure  the  coin  with  which  to  make  the  tender,  Howells 
having  brought  with  him  a  satchel  in  which  to  conceal  the 
bag  of  gold.  The  offices  of  Barter  &  Brooks  were  on  the 
third  story  of  a  building  on  Montgomery  Street,  not  far 
above  the  restaurant  they  had  just  left;  but  Frank's  might 
have  been  located  upon  Nob  Hill,  so  far  as  receiving  any 
patronage  of  Brooks  was  concerned.  He  shunned  it  as  he 
would  a  church;  the  atmosphere  of  the  government  build 
ing  was  not  congenial  to  him,  and  he  was  aware  that  the 
judges  of  the  United  States  courts  and  their  attaches 
regarded  him  with  suspicion  and  had  cognizance  of  his 
methods  which  were  not  hallowed  by  the  professional  ethics 
that  dignified  the  practice  in  the  Federal  courts. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  THE  'SIXTIES         369 

After  leaving  the  bank,  there  being  yet  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  remaining  until  the  time  fixed  for  the  visit  to  the 
enemy,  Howells  asked  Herman  to  go  into  the  What  Cheer 
House,  the  miners'  popular  resort.  As  they  entered, 
Howells  was  greeted  with  a  "  Helloa,  old  sharp,  how  are 
you?  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you.  Come  up,  you  and  your 
friend,  and  take  something  to  warm  you  up ;  "  and  a  stoutly 
built,  red-faced  party,  with  jollity  oozing  with  the  per 
spiration  from  all  his  pores,  came  forward  from  a  group 
of  miners,  and  grasped  his  hand,  which  he  shook  with 
genuine  fervor. 

"  Boys,  this  is  my  friend  Mr.  Howells,  the  sharpest  man 
in  the  country;  he  saved  me  once  from  a  band  of  cutthroat 
thieves,  and  if  you  ever  get  into  trouble,  he's  the  man  to 
send  for.  If  there's  a  thief  to  be  caught  or  a  murderer 
to  be  trailed  to  his  lair,  there's  not  a  man  in  the  state 
can  do  the  job  better." 

"  This  is  my  friend,  Tom  Edwards,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said 
the  detective,  "  you  might  claim  kinship,  for  he  brags  of  his 
Welsh  blood.  Yes,  Tom,  I  did  get  you  out  of  a  tight 
place  once,  but  I  am  afraid  it  is  only  that  you  might  get 
into  a  worse,  for  you  are  easy  game  for  a  card  sharp  or  a 
bunco  steerer." 

"Oh,  there's  no  danger,  old  man,  I've  reformed.  I've 
sold  out  my  mine,  and  have  the  coin  snug  in  bank,  and 
I'm  dickering  now  for  the  purchase  of  a  ranch  in  Southern 
California  not  far  from  Santa  Susana,  and  when  I  get  it 
I'll  settle  down  where  the  highwaymen  that  trail  a  miner 
will  not  find  me  out." 

"  Why,  you  are  going  to  the  county  of  Mr.  Thomas, 
and  if  you  need  a  friend  or  a  lawyer  down  there,  call 
upon  him  and  you  won't  make  a  mistake,"  said  Howells. 

"  I  don't  know  but  what  I  will  nee'd  either  a  lawyer  or 
some  sticks  of  giant  powder  to  bring  the  old  fellow  to  time 
that  owns  the  ranch.  I  have  got  him  to  take  something  to 
bind  the  bargain,  and  in  a  week  or  so,  I'll  start  down  with 
the  balance  of  the  coin." 

As  soon  as  Edwards'  invitation  had  been  properly  re 
sponded  to,  Herman  excused  himself,  and  started  out  on  his 
important  mission,  leaving  Howells  with  Edwards,  having 
arranged  to  dine  with  him  later  and  report.  As  he  left, 


370  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Howells  was  giving  his  friend  some  sound  advice.  He 
cautioned  him  to  be  very  prudent  on  his  trip  to  Southern 
California,  to  tell  no  one  that  he  intended  leaving  town, 
or  if  he  should  mention  it,  not  to  let  it  be  known  that  he 
would  carry  any  money  with  him,  and  to  conceal  the  day 
he  was  to  leave,  and  not  to  disclose  in  San  Francisco  or 
on  the  road  his  object  in  making  the  trip. 

"  You  need  not  laugh,"  he  said,  "  you  know  that  I'm  a 
man  that  has  as  great  a  contempt  for  foolish  fears  of  danger 
as  you,  and  you  should  therefore  understand  that  I  would 
not  put  you  on  your  guard  if  I  was  not  convinced  that  your 
safety  depends  upon  your  following  my  advice." 


CHAPTER  XLI 

HERMAN    MAKES    A    TENDER    TO    MR.    BROOKS 

THE  offices  of  Barter  &  Brooks  had  no  luxurious  appoint 
ments,  but  were  plain  and  unadorned,  the  walls  dull-hued  and 
time  stained,  with  cracks  (made  by  the  great  earthquake 
a  couple  of  years  back),  the  woodwork  unvarnished;  and 
they  exhaled  the  conventional  musty  smell  of  the  chambers 
of  barristers  and  solicitors  before  the  spirit  of  extravagant 
display  had  fastened  upon  the  profession  and  turned  legal 
dens  into  bankers'  salons.  They  consisted  of  a  suite  of 
three  rooms,  each  connecting  with  the  corridor.  The  center 
one  was  the  main  office,  occupied  by  the  clerk,  on  the  door 
of  which  was  the  legend,  "  Walk  In,"  and  the  other  two 
were  the  private  offices  of  Mr.  Barter  and  Mr.  Brooks,  the 
outer  doors  of  which  were  kept  bolted  against  intruders. 
In  Mr.  Barter's  office  hung  the  portrait  of  himself,  a 
portly  gentleman,  with  one  hand  thrust  into  the  bosom  of 
a  Prince  Albert  coat,  and  holding  tightly  squeezed  in  the 
other  a  packet  of  legal  papers.  This  was  all  that  was 
seen  of  Mr.  Barter  in  his  San  Francisco  chambers,  except 
for  about  a  fortnight  once  a  year  when  he  came  from  his 
headquarters  at  Washington  to  square  accounts  with  Brooks, 
which  he  found  as  difficult  as  squaring  a  circle,  and  plan 
further  piratical  ventures,  inaugurated  on  the  Pacific  and 
consummated  at  the  federal  capital.  It  was,  however, 
used  by  Mr.  Brooks  as  a  sanctum  sanctorum,  into  which 
he  with  his  latchkey  entered  from  the  corridor  with  his 
victim  or  his  confederate,  when  there  were  matters  to  be 
discussed,  papers  signed  or  money  to  be  paid,  when  even 
the  privacy  of  his  own  private  office  was  subject  to  doubt. 
In  his  own  private  room  was  his  safe,  the  combination  of 
which  was  known  only  to  himself;  and  its  contents,  so 
many  a  lawyer  and  litigant  thought,  as  they  longed  to 
crack  it,  would  unravel  more  than  one  mystery,  expose  many 
a  plot,  and  clear  up  not  a  few  doubtful  titles.  It  was 

371 


372  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

planted  by  the  chimney  in  which  was  a  stained  and  smoke- 
grimed  open  fire  place  where  every  evening  Mr.  Brooks  him 
self  burned  the  contents  of  his  waste  basket.  Besides  the 
office  desk,  there  was  a  long  table,  covered  with  worn  green 
baize,  and  a  half-dozen  of  stiff  wooden  chairs,  that  were 
utilized  for  the  meetings  of  boards  of  dummy  directors 
and  of  conspirators  in  the  promotion  or  conduct  of  some 
Brooks  inspired  scheme.  A  small,  but  well  selected  work 
ing  library,  lined  the  walls,  and  in  one  corner  was  a  coffin- 
like  chest,  nearly  filled  with  plats  and  drawings  of  various 
sizes  and  conditions.  In  the  main  office,  in  charge  of  the 
clerk,  the  walls  were  hung  with  maps  and  charts ;  in  another 
corner  stood  an  old  cabinet  of  pigeon-holes  and  drawers 
where  were  stored  the  bulk  of  the  records  of  a  number  of 
years'  practice,  such  as  were  innocent  and  would  bear  in 
spection  by  an  observer.  A  high  writing  table  or  desk 
was  nailed  along  the  wall  by  a  window,  with  a  tall  stool, 
such  as  Charles  Lamb  scaled  and  sat  upon  in  the  India 
office,  serving  as  a  perch  for  Mr.  Squiggler,  sole  scrivener 
and  confidential  clerk,  the  gentleman  to  whom  Mr.  Howells 
had  called  attention,  in  front  of  Frank's.  There  were 
also  a  few  chairs  and  a  deal  table,  upon  wrhich  lay  a 
Webster's  dictionary,  a  directory,  a  pamphlet  edition  of 
the  U.  S.  Land  laws  with  departmental  rulings,  a  New 
York  Tribune  and  a  San  Francisco  Bulletin,  a  leather  ink 
stand  and  some  quill  pens. 

Herman  in  obedience  to  the  direction  on  the  door  walked 
into  the  main  office  without  ceremony.  The  moment  he 
entered  he  found  the  eye  of  Mr.  Squiggler  directed  to  him 
from  his  perch,  where  he  sat  doubled  up  over  a  piece  of 
foolscap,  with  a  quill  pen  poised  like  a  lance  over  it. 

"Is  Mr.   Brooks  in?"  asked   Herman. 

"  He  is,"  solemnly  replied  Mr.  Squiggler,  as  he  slid  down 
to  the  floor  not  unlike  the  way  the  Majiltons  would  have 
descended  a  flight  of  steps  without  the  aid  of  their  feet  or 
hands.  "Your  name,  sir?" 

"  Mr.  Thomas  of  St.  Agnes." 

Mr.  Squiggler  wrote  the  name  on  a  scrap  from  the 
waste  basket,  gave  a  signal  with  his  knuckles  on  the 
door  of  Mr.  Brooks'  room,  opened  it  sufficiently  to  admit 
his  narrow  body,  disappeared  through  the  crack,  and  in 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER  37$ 

a  few  moments  reappeared,  and  directed  Mr.  Thomas  to 
enter.  As  he  had  anticipated,  he  found  Sigismund  and 
Espinosa  closeted  with  Mr.  Brooks.  There  was  also  present 
a  stranger,  an  Englishman ;  an  elderly  gentleman  with  white 
hair  and  side  whiskers,  with  a  face  almost  as  impassable 
as  that  of  Brooks  and  sharp  little  eyes,  fashionably  dressed, 
who  sat  tapping  the  toes  of  his  boots  with  a  jewel  mounted 
cane,  and  holding  on  his  lap  an  immaculate  silk  hat. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Brooks  with  his 
gentlest  voice  and  sweetest  smile.  "  You  find  two  of  your 
acquaintances,  St.  Agnes  gentlemen  —  as  we  might  call  Mr. 
Espinosa  one  of  your  citizens; — and  this  is  Sir  Roger  Stan- 
worth,  a  distinguished  capitalist  and  promoter  from  London. 
Be  seated.  Sir  Roger  has  taken  an  interest  in  our  hand 
some  estate,  El  Roblar  Viejo,  and  you  have  called  very 
opportunely,  as  your  client,  Dr.  Vanderpool,  owns  a  portion 
of  the  original  grant,  and  while  it  is  in  no  ways  essential 
to  the  completeness  of  the  company's  holdings,  it  could 
be  well  included  in  a  plan  of  promotion  and  sale  and 
increase  the  acreage,  which  of  course  is  a  factor  in  hand 
ling  land  schemes  of  magnitude.  Mr.  Sigismund  has  given 
Sir  Roger  his  ideas  as  to  what  elements  of  value  the 
property  possesses,  from  his  observation  as  a  disinterested 
party,  and  Mr.  Espinosa,  as  an  expert  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  territory  and  its  capacity  of  capabilities,  has 
described  it  in  detail,  and  if  there  are  any  peculiar  features 
which  would  be  of  interest  that  your  attention  has  been 
called  to,  possessed  by  the  company's  or  the  Doctor's  hold 
ings,  I  would  be  glad  to  have  you  point  them  out  to  Sir 
Roger." 

Sigismund  glancing  at  Herman,  said: 

"  I  have  pointed  out  to  these  gentlemen  what  has  attracted 
my  attention  in  reference  to  these  -properties,  regarding 
them  from  the  standpoint  of  a  practical  engineer.  The 
sources  of  water  supply  are  abundant,  and  so  located  that 
by  a  proper  system  of  cheap  reservoirs  and  conduits,  with 
an  inexpensive  plant,  the  water  could  be  distributed  over 
the  entire  property  and  its  yield  in  profit,  as  an  agricul 
tural,  fruit  and  fine  stock  grazing  ranch,  greatly  increased; 
and  if  cut  up  into  minor  holdings  would  be  a  splendid 
speculation." 


374>          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Well,"  said  Herman,  "  I  am  unable  to  add  anything 
to  what  has  doubtless  been  told  by  these  gentlemen  con 
cerning  El  Roblar  Viejo,  which  is  generally  recognized  as 
one  of  the  finest  ranches  in  the  county,  unless  it  is  to 
refer  to  an  element  of  value  as  yet  little  regarded  in  the 
buying  and  selling  of  lands,  but  which,  if  it  is  a  sub 
stantial  element,  enhances  the  value  of  El  Roblar  Viejo 
proper  and  gives  a  peculiar  value  to  Dr.  Vanderpool's  por 
tion.  I  refer  to  the  petroleum  deposits  it  contains.  The 
eastern  companies  who  have  experted  the  country  for  this 
product  and  acquired  large  tracts  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
county,  are  slowly  exploiting  the  territory,  at  the  same  time 
selling  off  the  agricultural  lands,  reserving  the  oil  rights, 
but  they  have  not  made  sufficient  developments  yet  to  prove 
it.  Professor  Silliman,  however,  has  given  his  opinion  that 
there  are  almost  inexhaustible  stores  of  oil  in  the  territory 
acquired  by  these  companies,  and  which  are  identical,  in 
physical  indications,  with  portions  of  El  Roblar  Viejo,  and 
particularly  with  the  Domingo  Ortega  tract.  There  are 
also  on  this  tract  and  on  portions  of  El  Roblar  Viejo 
proper,  outcroppings  of  cinnabar  that  indicate  valuable 
quicksilver  mines  which  will,  doubtless,  soon  be  exploited." 

This  seemed  to  awaken  interest  in  Sir  Roger  and  he  made 
some  shrewd  inquiries  about  the  character  and  location 
of  the  deposits,  the  geological  formation  of  the  country 
where  the  outcroppings  appeared,  and  the  extent  of  the 
territory. 

After  a  little  more  discussion,  Herman,  in  an  off-hand 
manner,  said: 

"  I  fear,  Mr.  Brooks,  that  I  may  be  to  a  certain  extent 
an  intruder,  and  I  will  briefly  state  my  errand.  Antonio 
Castanos  is  indebted  to  you  on  his  promissory  note,  se 
cured  by  a  pledge  of  his  stock  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  Com 
pany,  and  he  has  requested  me  to  call  upon  you  and 
pay  the  debt  and  redeem  the  stock.  I  have  calculated  the 
amount  of  interest,  compounding  it  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  the  note:  here  is  a  statement;  will  you  kindly 
verify  it?  " 

"  I  am  sincerely  glad,"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  softly  smiling, 
"  that  Antonio  has  found  means  to  rescue  his  stock,  which 
has  prospective  value  in  it,  though  I  loaned  more  upon  it 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER  375 

than  my  means  and  its  present  value  really  justified." 
He  here  struck  a  bell  upon  his  desk  which  sent  forth  a 
sharp  ring,  and  Mr.  Squiggler  immediately  appeared  in 
the  room. 

"  Squiggler,"  he  said,  "  take  this  statement  and  see  if  it 
represents  an  accurate  account  of  the  principal  and  interest 
on  the  promissory  note  of  Antonio  Castanos;  my  safe  is 
open,  you  will  find  it  with  the  stock  securing  it  on  top  of 
the  papers  in  the  upper  right  hand  pigeonhole." 

Mr.  Squiggler  looked  at  Mr.  Brooks,  stood  on  one  foot 
and  scratched  his  shin  with  his  other  heel,  and  said  noth 
ing. 

"What  is  the  matter?  Don't  you  understand  me?" 
said  Brooks. 

"  Can't  do  it.  Against  office  orders.  Your  instructions 
when  I  came  here  were  to  run  my  own  office  and  keep  my 
eyes  off  your  desk,  my  hands  off  the  safe  and  not  to  touch 
a  paper,  even  if  it  were  a  scrap  in  your  waste  basket.  I 
always  follow  programme  while  it  lasts;  I  follow  it  when 
you  are  absent,  and  I  shan't  break  it  when  you're  present." 

Brooks  eyed  him  sharply,  but  his  countenance  gave  no 
token  of  unexpressed  meaning. 

"  A  well  trained  clerk,  gentlemen ;  if  not  a  sympathetic 
retainer,  an  inflexible  observer  of  the  rules  of  his  employ 
ment,  which  is  the  better  after  all,  as  he  never  presumes 
on  his  own  judgment,  and  cannot  be  a  meddler,"  remarked 
Brooks,  and  giving  an  almost  imperceptible  glance  at 
Espinosa,  which  that  gentleman  nevertheless  caught,  he 
turned  to  the  safe,  took  out  the  note  and  stock  and  handed 
the  former  to  his  clerk  who  disappeared  with  it  to  his 
perch,  returning  in  five  minutes  pronouncing  the  calculation 
correct.  Heman  took  the  money  from  his  valise,  counted  it 
out  upon  the  table  and  received  the  note  and  stock. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Brooks,"  said  Herman,  handing  him  a  paper, 
"  Don  Antonio  claims  that  his  interest  in  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Rancho  was  obtained  from  him  improperly  through  false 
representations,  and  the  paper  I  present  to  you  is  a  re- 
cision,  stating  the  grounds  of  the  conveyance,  and  a  de 
mand  upon  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company,  of  which  you  are 
president,  to  reconvey  the  property,  and  here  is  a  deed  of 
reconveyance  to  execute;  and  I  hereby  offer  to  return  to 


576          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

you  the  stock,  the  only  thing  given  Don  Antonio  in  consid 
eration  of  the  surrender  of  his  interest  to  the  company." 

What  seemed  like  a  faint  whistle  apparently  coming  from 
the  lips  of  Sir  Roger,  though  they  did  not  move,  reached 
Herman's  ear,  as  he  finished,  and  the  white  hue  on  Brooks' 
face  grew  duller  and  the  smile  that  ran  up  his  face  was 
sharper,  and  there  was  a  cat-like  movement  about  the  way 
he  clutched  the  paper  Herman  had  handed  him,  as  he 
glanced  over  its  contents,  and  his  voice  was  very  soft,  as  he 
replied : 

"  Mr.  Thomas,  of  course  the  company  will  not  accept 
Antonio's  stock;  you  can  hand  it  to  him  with  his  note; 
the  idea  of  reconveying  the  interest  purchased  from  him 
for  a  valuable  consideration  is  preposterous.  I  fear,  Mr. 
Thomas,  you  have  been  misled.  When  you  have  been  as 
long  as  I  in  this  country  you  will  know  that  it  is  almost  the 
invariable  custom  among  native  Californians  to  try  to  get 
back  their  property  after  it  has  been  in  good  faith  purchased 
from  them,  under  the  claim  of  false  representations  made 
to  them,  or  their  want  of  knowledge  of  the  English  lan 
guage.  But  we  will  speak  of  all  this  afterwards.  Kindly 
have  a  talk  with  Dr.  Vanderpool  in  reference  to  joining 
his  tract  with  the  company's  property  and  selling  them  as  a 
whole.  Of  course  it  must  be  for  a  reasonable  price.  Sir 
Roger  hopes  to  accompany  me  to  St.  Agnes  in  a  few  days 
to  view  the  properties.  This  foolish  claim  of  Antonio 
can  be  settled  between  us  readily  when  I  come  down,  and 
need  not  be  considered  in  taking  steps  towards  the  pro 
motion  of  the  sale." 

As  Herman  bowed  to  Brooks  and  the  others  and  started 
to  go  out,  Sir  Roger  arose  and  said: 

"  Charmed  to  have  met  you,  Mr.  Thomas,  and  I  will  be 
pleased  to  renew  our  acquaintance  at  your  home,  which  I 
am  desirous  of  visiting,  even  if  nothing  come  of  our  business 
projects.  They  tell  me  St.  Agnes  has  no  peer  in  loveli 
ness." 

As  he  passed  through  Mr.  Squiggler's  apartments,  that 
gentleman  coughed,  and  Herman  turned  and  said  good  day. 
He  was  seated  on  his  perch,  facing  him,  and  was  holding  out 
his  quill  to  him. 

"  Thought  you  might  want  to  cancel  that  note,  and  you 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER      377 

might  want  to  write  on  it  the  exact  amount  you  paid,  and 
you  might  like  to  be  sure  that  there  is  no  difference  be 
tween  what  you  paid  and  my  figures." 

Herman  thanked  him  for  the  suggestion  and  marked  the 
note  cancelled  by  payment  to  Mr.  Brooks  of  the  sum  he 
had  given  him.  Whereupon  Mr.  Squiggler  nodded  his  head 
and  remarked: 

"  You  see  when  figures  agree  in  the  beginning  they  have 
to  agree  in  the  end,  no  matter  what  happens  to  them  be 
tween  times/'  and  Mr.  Squiggler  wheeled  around  and  be 
gan  thrusting  his  quill  at  his  sheet  of  foolscap. 

Herman  had  left  with  Judge  Freeman  the  complaint  in 
the  suit  of  Antonio  Castanos  against  Brooks  and  El  Roblar 
Viejo  Company,  with  notice  of  pendency  of  action,  to  be 
filed  immediately  upon  receiving  notice  of  tender  made, 
and  his  first  act  after  leaving  Brooks'  office  was  to  send 
him  this  notice.  In  about  half  an  hour  he  and  Sigis- 
mund  met  at  the  hotel,  and  the  latter  related  what  took 
place  in  the  offices  of  Brooks  after  he  had  taken  his  de 
parture. 

"  As  soon  as  the  door  closed  upon  you,"  he  said,  "  Brooks 
tossed  your  demand  on  his  desk  in  a  contemptuous  manner, 
saying,  '  These  natives  are  natural  blackmailers,  and  when 
ever  they  smell  out  an  intended  sale  by  the  parties  that  have 
bought  from  them,  they  make  a  break  at  holding  it  up; 
but  fortunately  they  are  cheaply  dealt  with,  and  their 
levies  are  regarded  as  incidentals  to  a  deal,  like  insurance 
premiums  and  taxes,  that  have  to  be  cleared  off  before  the 
deeds  pass/  And  he  handed  around  a  box  of  fine  Havanas, 
the  bouquet  of  which  won  the  heart  of  the  baronet,  who, 
by  the  way,  is  no  easy  subject  for  Brooks  to  manipulate. 
They  then  arranged  for  a  trip  to  St.-  Agnes  in  a  week, 
and  I  agreed  to  accompany  them  over  the  rancho  and  let 
them  profit,  if  they  can,  by  my  ideas  as  to  water  develop 
ment  and  distribution.  When  the  Englishman  rose  to  go, 
Espinosa  and  I  also  prepared  to  take  leave,  when  Brooks 
requested  me  to  remain.  After  the  others  had  disappeared, 
he  took  me  into  the  office  of  his  fat  partner,  and  made 
apparent  his  spiteful  wrath,  as  much  as  he  ever  displays 
his  feelings.  You  hit  him  hard.  It  was  a  thunderbolt  out 
of  a  clear  sky.  He  evidently  never  dreamed  of  the  pos- 


378  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

sibility  of  Antonio  redeeming  his  stock,  much  less  of  his 
claiming  his  interest  back,  and  he  realizes  that  he  was  a 
fool  to  turn  him  adrift  before  the  property  had  been  dis 
posed  of,  and  he  will  be  now  doubly  afraid  of  Espinosa 
whom  I  will  coach  as  to  how  to  take  advantage  of  the 
episode.  He  asked  me  if  I  knew  you  well,  and  if  you 
were  approachable.  I  said  that  I  had  always  found  you 
open  to  reason  in  all  things.  '  Well,  he's  an  idiot  any 
how/  he  said,  '  why  did  he  not  come  to  me  privately  and  tell 
me  what  he  was  going  to  do,  and  we  could  have  fixed  it  up, 
and  there  would  have  been  no  risk  of  endangering  the 
carrying  out  of  a  deal  that  would  have  been  a  profit  to  all 
parties.  I  intended  anyhow  to  do  the  generous  thing  with 
Antonio,  and  will  agree  to  do  so  yet,  if  he  relinquish  his 
blackmail  scheme.  You  might  have  a  talk  with  Thomas, 
and  try  have  the  suicidal  business  dropped,  and  if  you 
succeed,  I  will  interest  you  in  the  scheme  of  promotion  so 
as  to  have  your  services  as  a  practical  engineer  recognized 
and  you  given  a  high  salaried  position  in  the  new  company. 
As  for  Thomas,  you  might  let  him  know  that  if  he  gets 
Antonio  to  drop  the  matter,  I  will  have  him  retained  as  the 
company's  legal  adviser.  I  am  willing  to  donate  to  An 
tonio  something,  if  he  will  surrender  his  stock  and  give  a 
full  release  of  all  claims  to  the  ranch.  If  it  came  to  the 
worst,  and  the  deal  goes  through,  I  might  possibly  go  as 
high  as  the  amount  that  I  loaned  on  the  stock,  though  it 
is  an  absolute  gift,  for  his  claim  is  too  absurd  for  a  court 
to  entertain  for  an  instant,  and  is  at  any  rate  barred  by 
the  Statute  of  Limitations.'  I  told  him  that  I  would  see 
what  I  could  do,  and  report  when  he  came  to  St.  Agnes;  but 
I  couldn't  give  him  any  great  hope  of  bribing  you,  as  you 
were  one  of  these  green  fellows  from  an  unprogressive 
part  of  the  country  and  hadn't  gotten  used  to  western 
sharpness;  that  you  had  old  fashioned  ideas  of  loyalty  and 
open  dealing  to  a  client.  He  said  he  deprecated  my  use 
of  the  word  bribery;  at  the  same  time,  as  to  whether  or 
not  those  old  fashioned  ideas  were  allowed  to  control,  he 
had  found  in  his  experience,  was  only  a  matter  of  the  ex 
tent  of  the  profit  to  the  party  by  smothering  them.  So 
you  have  this  offer,  and  you  can  meditate  on  it." 

Herman  smiled  grimly,  and  said  he  hardly  thought  An- 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER      $79 

tonio  would  be  likely  to  consider  the  sale  of  his  interest  at 
that  figure;  and  that  he  would  find  that  he,  Herman,,  would 
be  stubborn  enough  to  continue  behind  the  times  and  stick 
to  one  party,  and  that,  his  client,  and  not  prey  on  both 
sides. 

At  a  quiet  dinner  in  a  snug  little  restaurant  somewhere 
between  Kearney  and  Dupont  Streets,  the  afternoon's  in 
cidents  were  recounted  and  discussed  with  Howells,  and 
his  shrewd  suggestions  registered  and  later  taken  advantage 
of.  He  informed  them  that  there  was  nothing  further  to 
do  in  San  Francisco  in  reference  to  the  campaign  against 
Brooks,  and  as  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  city  that  evening 
on  important  business,  he  could  not  contribute  to  their 
entertainment  further;  but  they  would  soon  hear  from  him 
again. 

The  two  friends  that  evening,  feeling  in  the  humor  for 
a  laugh,  concluded  to  go  to  the  minstrels.  As  they  took 
their  seats,  another  couple,  a  man  and  a  woman,  came  in 
and  occupied  chairs  directly  in  front  of  them.  Herman 
at  once  recognized  Howell's  friend,  Tom  Edwards.  His 
companion  was  a  tall,  striking  looking  woman,  evidently 
of  the  fast  set,  one  who  would  attract  attention  in  a  crowd. 
They  had  the  appearance  of  having  dined  well;  and  Ed 
wards,  considerably  the  worse  for  his  indulgence,  dropping 
off  in  a  doze  and  waking  up  to  catch  some  piece  of  humor 
that  awakened  his  risibilities,  and  indulging  in  a  great  ex 
plosion  of  mirth,  afforded  as  much  amusement  to  the 
audience  as  the  jokes  on  the  stage.  The  show  afforded 
our  friends  even  more  enjoyment  than  they  had  anticipated, 
and  they  declared  that  never  did  minstrelsy  produce  a  more 
talented  pair  than  Birch  and  Backus.  A^fter  it  was  over, 
both  fond  of  prowling  about  the  streets  at  night  in  the 
search  of  adventure,  they  took  a  stroll  away  from  the 
popular  promenades,  in  the  hopes  of  finding  some  haunt 
or  covert,  the  resort  of  characters  that  did  not  herd 
with  the  common  crowd.  Wandering  down  Market  Street 
towards  the  ferry,  seemingly  out  of  place,  in  the  midst  of 
darkened  warehouses,  storerooms  and  artisans'  shops,  hung 
on  an  iron  crane  stretching  out  from  an  old-fashioned 
tavern  front  with  a  wide  window,  screened  half  way  up, 
and  a  glass  door,  they  came  upon  a  rusty  lantern  emitting 


380  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

a  dull  red  light  through  broad  panes  on  which  were  in 
scribed  the  words,  "  Free  and  Easy." 

"  Here,  my  hearty,"  said  Herman,  stopping  as  he  dis 
tinguished  the  token,  "  here's  our  place.  I  have  gotten 
more  fun  out  of  an  English  Free  and  Easy  than  any  vaude 
ville  or  minstrel  show  I  ever  attended,"  and  they  opened 
the  door  and  walked  in.  The  room  they  entered  was  a  snug 
little  bar,  with  a  grill  at  one  end,  a  few  shelves,  adorned 
with  fat  bottles  bearing  different  labels,  Scotch  whiskey, 
Irish  whiskey,  gin,  brandy,  and  like  British  tipples,  and  on 
a  wooden  platform  stood  a  row  of  ale  and  porter  barrels, 
with  a  crop  of  barley  growing  on  their  heads,  a  sink  and 
faucet  and  a  pile  of  clean  towels,  and,  on  a  bench  above, 
an  artistic  array  of  mugs  of  pottery  and  pewter,  and  a 
great  jar  of  long-stemmed  clay  pipes.  A  short,  round- 
headed,  bull-necked  Englishman,  with  close  cropped  hair, 
in  a  plaid  suit,  welcomed  them. 

"  Come  in,  gentlemen,  your  servant,  gentlemen.  Walk 
into  the  cosy;  there  are  some  choice  spirits  'aving  a  good 
time  and  I  knows  you  will  enjoy  their  company.  I  am 
Timothy  Tapley,  or  as  my  friends  call  me,  '  Old  Taps.'  " 

"  I  am  Mr.  Townsend  and  my  friend  here  is  Mr.  Soirree/' 
said  Herman. 

The  door  from  the  bar  into  the  cosy  was  open,  and  in 
front  of  it,  in  the  inside,  was  a  tall  screen,  around  which 
Old  Taps  conducted  the  new  arrivals  into  a  room  of  con 
siderable  size  whose  occupants  and  contents  were  at  first 
hardly  discernible,  but  gradually  took  shape  out  of  the 
billows  of  smoke. 

"  Mr.  Townsend  and  Mr.  Soirree,  gentlemen,"  said  Old 
Taps. 

There  were  eight  or  ten  guests  seated  about  adjoining 
convenient  tables  on  which  their  tobies  of  ale  and  mugs 
of  porter  rested,  with  the  basins  of  tobacco  from  which 
the  long  clay  pipes  were  filled,  to  each  of  whom  the 
landlord,  who  had  a  memory  equal  to  Count  Schmidt's  in 
troduced  our  friends.  To  their  amused  surprise,  one  of 
the  first  who  was  presented  to  them,  under  the  name  of 
Professor  Spangler,  was  their  recent  acquaintance  Squiggler, 
who  sat  on  the  back  of  a  chair  with  his  feet  on  the  seat, 
clasping  between  them  a  concertina,  with  elbows  akimbo 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER      381 

and  hands  planted  on  his  knees,  a  Scotch  cap  on  the 
side  of  his  head  and  a  clay  pipe  stretching  out  from  one 
corner  of  his  lips.  There  was  a  quizzical  look  in  his 
sharp  eyes  as  he  nodded,  though  his  features  did  not 
change  expression.  Just  beyond  the  scrivener,  reclining  in 
an  arm-chair,  his  legs  stretched  out  their  full  length,  his 
heels  upon  the  floor,  his  hands  in  his  trousers  pocket,  in 
full  evening  dress,  with  waistcoat  unbuttoned,  his  silk  hat 
on  the  back  of  his  head,  pipe  in  mouth,  was  the  comfort 
able  form  of  Sir  Roger  Stanworth  in  relaxation,  who  was 
introduced  as  Capt.  Stanton. 

"  Delighted  to  see  you,  my  dear  boys,"  said  he. 
"  Charmed  that  you  should  be  so  British  in  your  tastes 
and  so  wise  in  the  search  for  refined  social  entertainment 
as  to  come  to  that  temple  of  mirth  and  intellectual  en 
joyment,  an  English  Free  and  Easy.  It  only  needed  this 
little  retreat  from  Merry  England  to  complete  the  con 
quest  of  my  heart  by  your  fair  San  Francisco.  I  have 
been  dining  with  our  mutual  friend,  the  land  owner  and 
solicitor  at  his  club  —  admirable  dinner,  excellent  wines 
and  cigars,  disposed  of  with  commendable  dignity  and 
decorum,  made  interesting  and  instructive  by  conversation 
upon  industrial  topics  incident  to  the  resources  and  develop 
ment  of  California,  but  requiring  a  mellowing  up  night 
cap  such  as  we  get  here,  where  the  good  Samaritan  Mr. 
Sq Professor  Spangler  has  initiated  me,  whom  I  op 
portunely  met  at  the  hotel  door.  And  now,  Timothy,  you 
beloved  disciple  of  the  great  St.  Paul,  whom  he  recom 
mended  to  take  a  little  wine  for  the  stomach's  sake,  while 
presenting  these  gentlemen,  ascertain  the  desires  of  all 
the  members  of  this  goodly  band  and  minister  to  them  with 
promptitude;  a  mug  of  ale  and  alf  for  me." 

After  the  landlord  had  filled  all  the  orders,  he  said, 
with  the  voice  and  air  of  a  ringmaster: 

"Gentlemen,  I  opes  you  enjoy  music.  We  ave  ere  to 
night  a  distinguished  violinist,  who  I  know  will  be  pleased 
to  favor  us  with  a  selection.  Mr.  Ammers,  can  I  prevail 
upon  you  ?  " 

A  sorrowful  looking  old  gentleman,  in  seedy  black  clothes, 
awakened  from  a  revery,  laid  down  his  pipe,  untied  a  brown 
green-bag,  and  drew  from  it  a  violin  and  bow.  After  a 


S82  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

little  tuning,  he  picked  a  few  chords  on  the  strings  and 
then  played  with  no  little  sweetness,  "  John  Anderson  my 
Joe,  John ;  "  and  on  being  heartily  applauded,  he  started 
up  "  The  Stormy  Winds  do  blow,  blow,  blow,"  whereupon 
the  scrivener  stood  up  on  his  chair  and  waving  his  pipe 
as  a  baton,  led  off  the  audience  in  a  rousing  chorus.  This 
was  followed  of  course  by  another  round  of  tobies  of  ale 
and  mugs  of  porter  and  alf  and  alf . 

"  Do  you  notice,"  said  Sigismund  to  Herman,  "  what  a 
fine  tone  that  violin  has?  The  old  man  and  his  instrument 
probably  each  has  a  history." 

As  soon  as  the  choristers'  throats  had  been  moistened, 
Prof.  Spangler,  who  had  resumed  his  seat  on  the  back 
of  his  chair,  arose  and  bracing  himself  with  one  hand  on 
his  perch  and  pointing  his  pipe  at  Sir  Roger  with  the 
other,  said: 

"  Have  as  guest  to-night  distinguished  military  man  from 
England,  Capt.  Stanton  —  has  broad  chest,  strong  voice, 
good  fellow  —  think,  if  requested,  might  render  us  a  song." 

"  Hear,  hear,  a  song  from  the  Captain,"  came  from  all 
mouths. 

"  Well,  my  men,  if  you  will,  here  goes,"  said  Sir  Roger, 
and  he  straightened  himself  Up,  and  with  dramatic  force 
and  expression,  chanted  that  solemn  ditty,  "Giles  Scrogins' 
Ghost,"  which  was  interlarded  with  certain  unearthly 
shrieks  from  a  clarionet,  brought  into  action  by  one  of  the 
guests,  and  blood-curdling  groans  from  Sigismund.  The 
ballad  finished,  there  were  thunders  of  applause  and  cries 
of  encore;  but  Sir  Roger  had  settled  back  into  his  com 
fortable  pose,  and  declined  to  respond  further. 

"  Can  we  persuade  you,  Prof.  Spangler,"  said  Old  Taps, 
"to  contribute  to  our  enjoyment,  with  something  from  the 
concertina  ?  " 

The  scrivener,  without  further  solicitation,  shot  his  arms 
down,  seized  the  concertina,  arose,  stretched  himself  up, 
held  the  instrument  like  a  muff  in  front  of  his  stomach, 
took  a  comprehensive  glance  around  the  assembled  con 
gregation,  then  rolled  up  his  eyes  to  the  ceiling  and  seemed 
to  turn  like  the  inhabitants  of  the  fabled  city  into  a  graven 
image  while  a  deep  silence  rested  on  the  expectant  audi 
tors.  Presently  faint  little  breathings  of  sound  came  from 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER      383 

the  muff -like  object,  though  the  statue  remained  motionless, 
like  the  sighs  of  the  forest  wind,  then  piping  notes,  in  a 
sweet  refrain,  followed  by  chirping  and  rustlings,  and  then 
a  harmonious  symphony,  growing  in  volume;  until  sud 
denly  the  graven  image  sprang  into  life  and  became  a 
thing  of  action,  vibrating  with  the  throbbing  of  his  in 
strument,  clasping  it  to  his  breast,  swinging  it  signal-like 
in  a  circle  about  his  head,  resting  it  gently  below  his  knees, 
as  he  bent  over  it,  gazing  at  it  as  he  held  it  on  one  side 
and  then  on  the  other,  his  body  swaying  and  bending  like 
that  of  a  contortionist;  while  all  the  time  the  magic  music 
of  the  overture  of  "  Der  Freischutz  "  poured  from  it,  in  ex 
pression  and  execution  that  Herman  had  not  dreamed  pos 
sible  from  this  rarely  heard  instrument.  Sigismund  was 
deeply  impressed  with  the  remarkable  performance,  and 
Sir  Roger  sat  the  picture  of  amazement.  As  the  Profes 
sor  laid  down  his  concertina  he  dried  up  into  his  impen 
etrable  self,  emptied  his  toby  and  refilled  and  lighted  his 
pipe,  and  nodded  his  head  mechanically  to  the  applause  and 
compliments  of  the  listeners.  Herman,  while  listening 
to  the  performance,  had  been  scribbling  upon  an  envelope 
he  had  taken  from  his  pocket,  and  during  the  chatting 
following  the  effort  of  Squiggler,  he  and  Sigismund  were 
together  looking  at  the  writing  and  humming  an  air. 
Presently  the  time  came  for  Sigismund  to  contribute  to  the 
entertainment,  and  he  said  that  he  would  be  glad  to  do 
his  part,  if  the  sorrowful  old  gentleman  would  permit  the 
use  of  his  violin. 

"  I  cannot  bear,"  said  the  old  man,  "  to  let  anyone  else 
touch  my  old  companion.  It  would  grieve  me  if  a  dis 
cord  were  wrenched  into  it.  Only  if  you  are  a  good 
player  and  understand  the  tender  treatment  due  to  a  noble 
instrument,  could  I  let  you  have  it." 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  have  the  same  feeling  to  my  own  dear 
violin,  and  I  would  not  ask  the  great  privilege  of  you, 
if  I  did  not  know  how  to  treat  it.  I  at  once  recognized 
that  it  was  a  superior  instrument." 

The  old  man  handed  it  to  him  reluctantly,  and  Sigis 
mund,  with  not  many  strokes  of  his  bow  by  which  he 
brought  out  its  full  tone,  took  away  all  fear  from  and 
brightened  up  with  pleasure  the  old  man's  face.  He  be- 


384  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

gan  with  "  The  Last  Rose  of  Summer/'  and  played  the 
simple  air  so  sweetly  and  with  such  feeling  that  even  Old 
Taps  seemed  touched,  and  the  tears  came  to  the  eyes 
of  the  sorrowful  old  gentleman;  following  it  with  his 
own  variations  that  only  brought  out  the  beauty  of  the 
theme.  From  it  he  glided  into  "  The  Blue  Danube  "  waltz 
and  ended  with  "  God  Save  the  Queen,"  bringing  all  sing 
ing  to  their  feet,  Sir  Roger  raising  aloft  his  silk  hat  on 
his  cane  and  waving  it  in  the  smoke  clouds. 

"  Thanks,  thanks,  sir,"  said  the  sorrowful  old  gentle 
man  ;  "  the  old  violin  has  not  sung  so  sweetly  for  many  a 
weary  year.*' 

At  last  Herman,  as  he  had  anticipated,  was  called  upon 
to  do  his  share.  He  said  that  he  had  little  voice  and  his 
memory  was  unreliable,  so  he  had  scribbled  off  a  little 
doggerel  to  which  he  and  Mr.  Soirree  had  adjusted  a  tune 
stolen  from  a  couple  of  familiar  old  ballads,  and  which 
he  would  give  to  them,  asking  their  charity  in  the  beginning. 
After  a  prelude  by  Mr.  Soirree  on  the  violin,  he  sang  from 
his  envelope  the  following  ditty: 

"  Though  brave  we  may  be  in  the  battles  of  life, 

And  bear  with  a  smile  its  loads  and  hard  raps, 
For  strength  to  hold  out  to  the  end  of  the  strife, 
We  must  halt  by  the  way  and  cheer  up  at 
Old  Taps. 

"Old  Taps,  Old  Taps,  the  rarest  of  chaps, 
He  laughs  at  mishaps  and  scorns  the  world's  slaps, 
Does  the  brave  Old  Taps. 

"When  the  heart  is  oppressed  and  the  brow  wears  a  cloud, 

And  the  mantle  of  mourning  the  sad  soul  enwraps, 
Just  lock  up  your  workshop,  and  flee  from  the  crowd, 
And  hie  to  joy's  conjuring  wizard, 
Old  Taps. 

"  Old  Taps,  Old  Taps,  the  rarest  of  chaps, 
He  laughs  at  mishaps  and  scorns  the  world's  slaps, 
Does  the  merry  Old  Taps. 

"  When  the  spirit  is  sparkling  and  thought  wings  its  flight 

To  the  playgrounds  of  fancy,  and  its  songbirds  entraps, 
Then  share  with  boon  comrades  your  soul's  keen  delight, 
And  give  alms  in  joy's  jewels  to  the  wards  of 
Old  Taps. 


HERMAN  MAKES  A  TENDER      385 

"Old  Taps,  Old  Taps,  the  rarest  of  chaps, 
He  laughs  at  mishaps  and  scorns  the  world's  slaps, 
Does  true-hearted  Old  Taps." 

The  improvised  ballad  was  a  stupendous  success,  and  the 
plaudits  were  loud  and  prolonged,  and  Old  Taps  came 
up  and  shook  hands  with  Herman  and  thanked  him  for 
the  compliment  and  begged  for  the  song.  Herman  prom 
ised  to  rewrite  it  with  the  music  of  the  air  and  send  it  to 
him,  which  promise  he  fulfilled. 

After  a  supper  of  Welsh  rarebit,  deliciously  flavored  and 
cooked,  our  friends  departed.  Herman  and  Sigismund 
left  Sir  Roger  and  Squiggler  at  The  Occidental,  and  took 
a  little  stroll  for  digestive  purposes  before  retiring.  As 
they  walked  up  Bush  Street,  in  the  ladies'  entrance  to 
a  restaurant,  where  the  light  fell  upon  their  faces,  our 
friends  were  astonished  to  see  the  woman  who  was  with 
Edwards  at  the  minstrels  in  earnest  conversation  with 
Buckley. 

"  There  is  some  deviltry  on  hand,"  said  Sigismund. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Herman,  "  and  I  will  wager  the  victim 
is  Howells'  friend  Edwards.  I  wish  he  had  not  left  the 
City;  he  should  know  of  this." 


CHAPTER  XLII 

THE  HOUND,  A  FAITHFUL  FRIEND;  THE   SON  AN  INGRATE 

MRS.  STANLEY,  since  her  visit  to  the  City,  had  suffered 
from  an  attack  of  heart  trouble  more  prolonged  than  usual, 
and  the  Doctor  had  been  in  daily  attendance  upon  her. 
He  had  impressed  upon  her  the  absolute  necessity  of  avoid 
ing  all  excitement  or  worry,  and  she  had  been  able  to  sub 
mit  obediently  to  his  injunctions  by  a  postponement  to 
some  future  day  of  matters  trying  to  the  nerves.  If  the 
thought  of  them  flashed  upon  her  mind,  with  an  effort 
she  would  consign  them  to  the  time  allotted  in  the  future 
for  the  ordeal  which  was  to  be  passed  through.  It  would 
have  been  impossible  for  her  to  banish  them  finally  from 
her  mind  as  needless  subjects  of  annoyance  or  anger;  it 
was  only  by  putting  them  off  that  she  gained  momentary 
peace.  Walter,  in  a  way  more  polite  than  affectionate,  gave 
to  her  each  day  an  hour  or  two  of  his  time,  reading  to  her 
the  newspapers  and  popular  magazines  and  commenting 
upon  the  current  social  doings  in  New  York.  His  mother 
confined  herself  principally  to  listening,  sometimes  lifting 
her  eyes  and  looking  keenly  at  his  face,  then  dropping 
them,  while  her  features  for  a  moment  would  be  drawn 
with  an  expression  of  pain  and  the  effort  to  suppress  it. 
At  times,  when  he  was  less  restrained  and  showed  some 
thing  of  natural  youthfulness,  displaying  at  the  same  time 
his  inherited  cleverness,  she  would  smile,  and  make  some 
bright  remarks,  only  to  return  soon  to  her  accustomed  list- 
lessness.  She  had  said  nothing  to  him  concerning  her  visit 
to  San  Francisco,  and  had  evaded  questions  ventured  by 
him  to  bring  out  the  nature  of  her  errand.  Anna  Morgan 
came  to  see  her  frequently,  bringing  her  flowers  and  now 
and  then  some  little  delicacy  she  thought  might  tempt 
her  appetite,  chatting  a  while,  and  then  running  away 
on  some  commission,  frequently  accompanied  by  Walter. 

386 


THE  HOUND  A  FRIEND  S87 

These  visits  were  no  diversion  to  the  invalid;  Anna  bored 
her;  there  was  nothing  in  her  to  awaken  a  sympathetic 
feeling,  or  to  invoke  the  spirit  of  contention.  But  strange 
to  say,  Martha  interested  her  more  and  more,  as  they 
were  thrown  together.  They  had  apparently  not  a  thing 
in  common,  other  than  brightness  of  intellect,  and  as  to  that 
there  was  the  difference  between  the  stab  of  a  keen-bladed 
stiletto  and  the  attraction  of  a  powerful  magnet.  Yet  she 
seemed  to  gain  more  diversion  and  satisfaction  from  her 
company  than  from  that  of  anyone  she  came  in  contact 
with.  Martha  was  a  mystery  to  her  and  a  study,  and 
she  was  disarmed  by  her,  rarely  venturing  to  make  her  the 
object  of  her  sneers  or  heartless  cynicism.  As  to  Martha, 
a  great  change  had  come  over  her  in  feeling  and  con 
duct  towards  Mrs.  Stanley  since  the  fete  where  she  had 
given  such  dramatic  evidence  of  the  fire  of  passion  that 
burned  within  her;  an  ineffable  pity  for  her  had  taken  pos 
session  of  this  young  woman's  heart.  With  all  her  proud 
arrogance,  cynicism  and  contempt  for  the  sympathy  of 
her  fellows,  the  poor  woman  seemed  to  be  so  desolate, 
so  lonely,  so  forlorn,  a  passionate  heart,  it  seemed  to  her, 
encircled  with  a  sea  of  ice,  that  she  longed  to  in  some  way 
help  her.  Her  quick  observation  and  keen  perceptions  very 
soon  disclosed  to  her  the  absence  of  filial  affection  in 
Walter  and  the  disappointment  and  resentment  it  brought 
to  his  mother,  all  the  more  bitter  because  of  her  having 
evidently  given  her  life  to  him,  the  only  object  of  affection 
she  had  allowed  to  exist  in  her  heart. 

It  was  a  Sunday  morning  in  December;  a  slight  tracery 
of  snow  lingered  after  a  few  crisp  nights  following  the 
rain  in  the  crevices  of  the  mountain  peaks,  which  were 
shaded  to  a  deep  dark  blue  by  a  boa  of  fleecy  clouds  flung 
across  the  clear  sky  above  them,  and  which  sharply  chiseled 
each  feature,  distinctly  outlined  in  the  pure  atmosphere,  and 
drawn  so  close  that  the  miles  to  their  feet  appeared  but 
a  few  steps ;  and  to  climb  to  their  heights  along  what  seemed 
stepping  stones  and  driveways  carved  by  nature  on  the 
mountain  sides,  looked  like  an  hour's  pastime.  The  rains 
had  dissipated  the  landscape's  autumn  colors,  and  a  carpet 
ing  of  dissolving  tints  of  delicate  green  was  spread  over 
the  foothills  where  not  many  days  back  were  scattered 


388          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Persian  rugs  of  gray  withered  grasses  and  lustre-hued  tar- 
weed.  The  sunshine  had  in  it  a  luxurious  caressing,  min 
istering  warmth  to  the  invalid,  like  the  spell  of  lotus 
blossoms,  while,  borne  upon  the  breeze,  it  caught  the  brac 
ing  breath  of  the  frosted  peaks. 

Mrs.  Stanley  reclined  in  the  steamer-chair  on  her  porch 
where  the  grateful  sunshine  poured  down  in  a  flood  of 
light  and  warmth,  and  there  was  wafted  to  her  through  the 
gently  stirring  vine  leaves  the  faint  scent  of  the  mignon 
ette's  first  blossom.  Her  faithful  companion  Timon  lay 
at  her  feet,  and  one  would  think,  in  witnessing  the  gentle 
tokens  of  his  devotion  and  the  glances  of  grateful  affec 
tion  his  mistress  at  times  gave  him,  that  within  him  was 
the  spirit  of  her  guardian  angel,  there  to  preserve  a  single 
link  between  her  and  the  spiritual  in  womanhood,  to  save 
her  from  herself.  Walter  had  performed  his  usual  task 
and  taken  his  departure.  She  had  been  reading  "  Les  Mis- 
erables,"  and  the  volume  lay  in  her  lap,  while  she  sat,  after 
trying  to  analyze  Victor  Hugo's  strained,  fictitious  philoso 
phy,  brooding  over  her  own  life  and  endeavoring  to  enter- 
pret  it  and  solve  its  problems  by  a  materialist's  metaphysical 
Euclid.  As  if  the  soul  of  man  could  be  reduced  to  a  plane 
and  measured  and  platted  and  delineated  and  demonstrated 
by  scientific  rules;  as  if  any  but  the  divine  Creator  could 
read  the  book,  and  paint  its  portraits,  that  is  a  mystery  to 
the  heart  it  is  the  record  of.  Noble  aspirations,  compel 
ling  passions,  spiritual  longings,  selfish  impulses,  sweet 
compassion,  cold  indifference,  tender  gentleness,  earnest 
purpose,  rasping  fretfulness,  childish  weakness,  inheritance 
birth  marks,  environment's  impress,  contending  good  and 
evil,  the  senses'  degradation  struggling  with  the  spirit's 
exaltation,  blending  in  different  proportions  that  ever 
change,  no  one  personality  in  the  world's  myriads  identical 
with  another,  and  man's  individuality  never  exactly  to-mor 
row  what  it  is  to-day;  there  is  but  one  key,  one  talisman, 
one  interpreter,  one  mentor,  one  minister,  one  elixir  for 
the  inscrutable  cosmos  the  human  soul,  the  essential  spirit 
that  preserves  its  union  with  its  divine  source  —  religion. 
The  disciples  of  unbelief,  of  agnosticism  and  materialism 
can  only  take  the  census  and  classify  the  elements  of 
thought  and  emotion  and  record  their  incarnations,  disem- 


THE  HOUND  A  FRIEND  889 

bodied  from  the  individual  a  perfected  entity  with  peculiar 
identity  distinct  from  its  fellows;  they  are  dissectors  of 
the  common  vitals,  powerless  to  seize  or  comprehend  the 
essence  or  spirit  that  quickens  each  image  of  clay  and 
stamps  upon  its  features  the  distinguishing  mark  of  an  in 
dependent  soul.  With  no  divine  light  to  guide  to  the  foun 
tains  of  the  individual  heart,  they  can  only  legislate  for 
the  multitude,  and,  beyond  the  laws  of  the  land,  their  sole 
specific  is  the  rest  cure,  the  selfish,  the  cowardly,  the  ig 
noble  philosophy  of  stoicism.  The  hound  suddenly  raised 
his  head,  sniffed  the  breeze,  rose  up,  stretched  himself,  and 
trotted  to  the  gate,  wagging  his  tail.  Mrs.  Stanley  fol 
lowing  him  with  her  eyes,  saw,  with  a  sense  of  relief, 
Martha  approaching.  Timon  seemed  to  hold  her  next 
to  his  mistress  in  his  good  graces  and  always  was  glad 
to  see  her.  She  came  in  quietly,  inquired  of  Mrs.  Stanley 
about  her  health,  and  handed  her  a  bunch  of  Old  Man  she 
had  gathered  near  the  Mission  on  her  way  home  from 
mass.  A  faint  flush  of  color  came  into  the  invalid's  face  as 
she  smelled  the  aromatic  herb,  and  thanked  Martha,  and 
said: 

"  You  did  not  know  it,  Martha,  but  you  could  not  have 
brought  me  anything  I  would  rather  have  just  now  than 
this  homely  shrub,  with  its  wild  fragrance;  it  smells  of  the 
very  few  happy  days  of  my  girlhood,  and  it  has  rare  per 
fume  to  me  when  the  scent  of  the  sweetest  flowers  awakens 
no  sentiment.  I  see  by  your  prayer  book  you  have  been  to 
church.  I  envy  your  being  able  to  take  so  long  a  walk 
this  perfect  day,  and  even  the  monotony  of  a  mass  and 
the  platitudes  of  a  dull  sermon  would  be  a  change  one 
could  put  up  with  from  the  dullness  and  dryness  of  en 
forced  invalidism." 

"  It  is  a  lovely  day,"  said  Martha,  "  and  as  I  strolled 
down  from  the  Mission,  so  it  happened,  alone  with  my 
thoughts,  I  imagined  that  all  nature  was  impressed  with 
the  spirit  of  Sunday;  her  sounds  seemed  softened  and  sub 
dued,  and  there  was  a  hush  and  stillness  in  the  air,  as  if 
it  felt  the  benediction  from  the  altar." 

"  Nature  very  frequently  out  here  has  these  days  you 
may  call  Sunday-like,"  replied  Mrs.  Stanley ;  "  but  they  be 
long  to  her  moods,  and  are  not  fixed  and  regulated  by 


390  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

clerical  decree.  She  often  labors  and  frowns  and  storms 
on  the  man-made  holy  days  in  a  most  blasphemous  way. 
But  whatever  her  moods,  one  learns  more  and  gains  more 
s-atisfaction  by  being  in  her  society  than  can  be  gained 
in  the  myths  and  mockery  designed  by  man  to  minister  to 
his  superstition,  in  temple  and  conventicle.  I  cannot  com 
prehend  why,  Martha,  you  who  are  not  apt  to  do  things 
simply  because  others  do  them,  should  waste  a  part  of  this 
beautiful  morning  sitting  in  a  dreary  church  and  listen 
ing  to  a  drearier  service,  when  you  could  listen  to  better 
sermons  and  your  mind  and  heart  gain  far  more  rest  and 
refreshment  out  under  the  bright  sky.  It  is  beyond  me 
to  understand  how  religion,  as  it  is  manufactured  and  ap 
plied,  can  be  anything  but  a  manacle  on  the  soul  and  a 
prison  to  the  intellect.  I  do  not  say  this  to  ridicule  your 
belief,  and  I  hope  I  do  not  wound  you,  but  it  is  the  ex 
pression  of  my  sincere  thoughts  and  reason." 

Martha  had  seated  herself  on  the  steps  of  the  porch 
not  far  from  where  Mrs.  Stanley  reclined,  the  hound  hav 
ing  stretched  himself  out  between  them,  and  played  with 
her  prayer  book,  as  she  looked  pensively  at  the  mountains. 
She  did  not  answer  at  first,  but  finally  said,  as  if  talking  to 
herself: 

"  What  is  the  landscape  to  the  blind,  or  the  sweet  calls 
of  nature  to  the  deaf?  How  can  nature  alone  minister  to 
the  heart's  longings  that  reach  into  the  clouds  way  be 
yond  her  loftiest  peaks,  or  its  sorrows  that  turn  the  face 
to  the  wall,  or  its  doubts  and  fears  that  rob  the  earth  of 
its  charms;  or  what  has  she  to  do  with  the  soul's  ecstasy, 
where  the  spirit  soars  heavenward  from  a  prison  or  cloister 
cell  ?  What  magic  has  she  to  solve  the  heart's  problems  ?  I 
have  no  doubt,  Mrs.  Stanley,"  she  continued,  as  if  awaken 
ing  from  a  revery,  and  glancing  at  her  companion,  "  that 
you  have  many  moments  when  nature,  at  its  best  and 
most  seductive,  is  a  desert  to  you,  without  flavor  or  frag 
rance  or  power  to  move,  and  this  at  times  when  the  heart 
throbs  passionately  and  the  emotions  are  keen  and  sensi 
tive.  If  we  were  a  plant  or  a  dumb  beast  and  belonged  to 
the  kingdom  of  soulless  matter,  nature  would  be  all  suffi 
cient  to  us;  but  there  is  a  spirit  world  within  us,  a  world 
independent  of  that  our  senses  are  conscious  of,  that  con- 


THE  HOUND  A  FRIEND  391 

stitutes  our  identity,  as  an  immortal  being,  and  this  spirit 
life  must  be  interpreted,  ministered  to  and  controlled  by 
other  powers  and  influences  than  proceed  from  the  objects 
of  the  senses.  The  recognition  and  belief  in  a  higher  power, 
in  a  divine  Providence,  and  reliance  upon  it,  and  the  cher 
ishing  with  love  of  the  tie  that  binds  our  souls  to  the 
Sacred  Presence,  and  the  invoking  of  its  aid  and  con 
solation,  bring  rest  and  calm  and  happiness  to  the  heart 
when  the  senses  have  no  balm." 

"  Why,  you  sermonize  like  a  preacher,  Martha ;  have  you 
been  committing  to  memory  some  schoolman's  homilies  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Martha,  smiling,  "  I  may  have  caught 
some  of  the  phraseology  of  some  writer  or  speaker,  but  I 
am  no  student  of  philosophy  or  metaphysics,  and  know  little 
about  theology,  and  what  I  am  saying  is  simply  what  has 
come  into  my  own  thoughts.  I  do  think  a  great  deal  about 
these  things.  What  I  read,  when  such  subjects  address 
themselves  to  me,  are  books  of  devotion,  such  as  Thomas 
a  Kempis,  Fenelon,  Francis  de  Sales,  Faber  and  the  like." 

"  You  are  a  dreamer,  Martha,  and  all  these  thoughts  are 
day  dreams,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley.  "  Reason  and  science 
prove  that  nature  herself  is  her  own  creator  and  that  human 
life  is  a  part  of  her,  and  her  laws  are  uniform  and  uni 
versal  in  their  application,  and  a  breath  of  human  thought, 
a  prayer  of  the  human  mind  cannot  alter  or  modify  them. 
It  is  preposterous  to  hold  that  there  exists  a  Providence 
who  changes  their  wonderful  working  at  the  requests  of  the 
tens  of  thousands  that  are  continuously  praying  for  special 
providences,  and  which,  if  granted,  would  create  chaos  in 
the  universe.  It  is  vain  also  to  think  that  you  or  I  are 
a  peculiar,  especially  created  and  personally  cared  for  being, 
a  kingdom  in  ourself.  What  is  our  individuality?  Why, 
it  is  nothing  but  a  mixture  of  the  same  ingredients  in  dif 
ferent  proportions  that  constituted  the  mental  and  physical 
make-up  of  the  generations  of  our  forefathers;  shaped  and 
moulded  by  our  accidental  environment.  We  are  the  su 
perior  order  of  nature's  beings,  but  we  are  not  excepted 
from  the  operation  of  her  universal  laws,  and,  like  every 
thing  else,  we  die  and  lose  our  identity,  and  some  other 
form  of  life  springs  from  us.  As  for  solving  life's  prob 
lems,  all  we  have  to  do  is  with  our  intellect,  aided  if 


392          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

necessary  by  others'  advice  and  experience  in  life.  Noth 
ing  from  an  unknown  world  can  help  us.  Imagination 
sometimes  may  bring  relief  to  a  distressed  mind  where 
cold  reason's  truths  are  too  much  to  bear." 

"  It  grieves  me  to  hear  you  speak  so,  or  rather  that 
what  you  say  are  your  convictions/'  replied  Martha. 
"  You  will  admit  that  what  you  term  nature  does  nothing 
without  a  purpose,  or,  I  may  say,  that  nothing  exists  with 
out  a  reason,  and  that  there  is  no  absolutely  vain  crea 
tion.  Then  why,  since  the  beginning  has  the  human  soul 
been  naturally  drawn  to  communion  with  an  infinite  spirit, 
and  why  has  religion  always  been  an  impulse  of  the  heart, 
sentient  and  well  defined  as  love  or  hate?  But,  Mrs.  Stan 
ley,  viewing  it  from  a  selfish  point,  what  we  want  in  life  is 
peace  of  heart,  satisfaction  with  self — happiness.  And  if 
we  have  noble  promptings,  our  aim  is  to  bring  happiness 
to  others.  If  reason  or  the  material  world  do  not  give 
us  this,  is  it  a  degradation  to  sacrifice  a  bit  of  our  vain 
pride  of  intellect  and  seek  help  from  a  source  that  has 
helped  the  noblest  men  and  greatest  intellects  the  world 
has  produced,  in  keeping  the  heart  pure,  conquering  evil 
and  doing  good,  in  winning  liberty  of  thought  and  peace  of 
mind,  in  bearing  suffering  and  dispensing  happiness,  while 
ennobling  their  souls,  bestowing  blessings  on  their  fel 
lows?  With  me  my  religion  is  a  purifying  and  elevating 
principle,  as  well  as  a  solacing  angel,  and  aid  in  all  my 
purposes  for  good  and  a  source  of  true  happiness.  It 
makes  what  are  natural  duties  sacred  obligations,  and  it 
spiritualizes  the  commonplaces  of  my  daily  life  and  gives 
them  flavor.  In  the  melancholy  moments  that  often  come 
to  me,  it  banishes  rebellion  and  the  temptation  to  despair, 
and  sweetens  sadness,  and  in  my  bright  and  happy  moods 
it  impels  me  to  share  my  happiness  with  others  in  need  of 
it,  giving  me  double  joy.  It  warns  and  makes  spiritual 
the  affection  that  unites  so  happily  our  family.  The  love 
I  have  for  my  father  is  beyond  what  nature  puts  in  a  child's 
heart;  it  is  blended  with  a  sacred  veneration  that  constant 
prayer  for  blessings  on  him  keeps  undying,  and  his  love 
and  care  for  us  that  of  a  guardian  angel,  graced  with  the 
inspiration  of  religion,  and  when  God  calls  him  from  us, 
it  will  remain  a  benediction  on  our  lives." 


THE  HOUND  A  FRIEND  393 

Martha  here  stopped  abruptly.  She  had  been  talking 
impulsively,  really  thinking  aloud,  without  consideration  of 
the  effect  her  words  might  produce  on  her  auditor,  but 
hardly  had  the  words,  telling  of  the  love  between  her 
father  and  his  daughters,  passed  her  lips  when  the  thought 
of  Walter  Stanley's  apparent  lack  of  true  affection  to 
his  mother  and  the  bitterness  it  evidently  caused  her 
flashed  into  her  mind  and  silenced  her,  with  mortification 
for  being  thoughtless  enough  to  say  anything  that  might 
bring  her  pain.  They  were  both  silent  for  a  few  moments, 
when  Mrs.  Stanley  said: 

"  I  believe  that  you  are  sincere,  Martha,  and  as  long 
as  your  religion  brings  comfort  and  pleasure  to  yourself 
and  you  do  not  use  it  as  a  ground  of  asserting  superiority 
over  others  or  as  a  means  of  bringing  other  people's  ideas 
into  contempt,  I  do  not  see  why  you  should  not  cherish 
it.  You  are  a  child  and  this  idea  of  some  sort  of  an  angel 
protecting  and  helping  and  playing  mentor  to  you  is  some 
thing  belonging  to  the  imagination  of  a  child,  and  it  may 
be  better  for  you  if  it  keeps  you  one.  I  can  best  wish 
for  you  that  no  blasting  bitterness  come  into  your  life 
that  will  wither  up  the  flowers  of  your  child's  fancy  and 
your  religion  with  it,  and  leave  your  heart  a  dreary  chamber 
with  no  playthings  in  it." 

"  Good-by,  Mrs.  Stanley,"  said  Martha,  as  she  arose  to 
go.  "  I  hope  that  I  have  not  annoyed  or  worried  you 
too  much  with  my  talk.  Indeed,  I  do  not  often  talk  so 
much,  and  rarely  preach,  and  I  do  not  know  what  prompted 
me  to  discuss  what  Papa  says  should  never  enter  social 
conversation.  Please  forgive  me." 

"  It  was  I  that  brought  it  up,  my  child ;  I  have  nothing 
to  forgive." 

Timon  escorted  Martha  to  the  gate,  "and  returning  stood 
by  his  mistress,  resting  his  head  on  the  arm  of  the  chair, 
looking  up  into  her  face.  She  was  very  pale,  her  lips  were 
pressed  tightly  together,  and  a  moisture  rarely  seen  there 
glistened  in  her  eyes.  At  last  she  looked  down  at  her 
faithful  friend  and  said: 

"  Timon,  you  have  no  soul,  no  reasoning  faculties,  no 
consciousness  of  good  or  evil,  but  the  warmth  of  affec 
tion  and  the  loyalty  of  a  nobleman  are  in  your  breast; 


394  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

while  the  one  who  should  be  in  your  place  by  his  mother's 
side  has  whatever  exists  of  immortality  in  mortal,  intellect 
and  knowledge  of  right  and  wrong,  without  a  spark  of  sin 
cere  love  for  the  one  who  bore  him,  the  ending  of  whose 
wretched  life  would  be  to  him  a  welcome  release.  Can  it 
be  that  when  the  reason  rises  above  the  slavery  to  super 
stition  it  leaves  behind  the  impulses  that  ennoble  brutes 
and  make  men  brothers !  " 

Some  days  after  this  Sunday  Mrs.  Stanley  felt  strong 
enough  and  sufficiently  calm  and  self-possessed  to  take  her 
disagreeables  from  their  pigeonholes  and  dispose  of  them. 
She  had  determined  to  act  in  cold  blood,  and  not  to  per 
mit  herself  to  give  away  to  anger,  so  dangerous  a  foe  to 
her  frail  heart.  The  only  real  difficult  task  was  the  inter 
view  with  Walter,  made  necessary  by  what  she  had  dis 
covered  on  her  visit  to  San  Francisco. 

One  morning  when  Walter  had  been  reading  to  her  and 
was  about  to  go  away,  she  said,  quietly : 

"  Walter,  you  remember  that  I  refused  to  exchange  any  of 
my  standard  securities  for  speculative  investments  of  any 
kind;  then  how  is  it  that  you  have  removed  from  my  box 
$5,000.00  of  my  government  bonds  and  substituted  in  their 
place  stock  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company,  which  I  posi 
tively  refused  to  invest  in  ?  " 

The  abruptness  of  this  question  for  the  moment  dis 
concerted  him,  but  quickly  assuming  a  dogged  air,  he  re 
plied  : 

"  When  you  so  told  me,  I  had  already  exchanged  them  in 
accordance  with  my  judgment.  I  believed  I  told  you  at 
the  time  we  talked  about  it  that  it  was  folly  to  hold  capital 
tied  up  in  what  yielded  so  little  revenue/' 

"  Do  you  not  know  that  you  were  guilty  of  a  criminal 
act?" 

"  No,  I  do  not.  It  was  all  my  father's  money,  and 
though  he  left  it  to  you  by  his  will,  by  right  and  nature, 
I  as  well  as  you  should  profit  by  it." 

The  color  came  and  went  in  his  mother's  face,  but  with 
a  great  effort  she  controlled  her  emotion,  and  continued  in 
the  same  quiet  tone: 

"  Your  father  purposely  kept  it  from  your  control,  as 
he  felt  that  it  would  have  been  dissipated  and  both  of 


THE  HOUND  A  FRIEND  S95 

us  left  at  the  mercy  of  a  world  that  has  no  love  for  us,  and 
this  instance  shows  how  wise  he  was.  The  thing  has  been 
done,  and  I  shall  not  mention  it  again.  Here  is  the  stock," 
and  opening  the  bag  she  kept  by  her  side,  she  took  from 
it  an  envelope  and  handed  it  to  him.  Stanley  took  it 
mechanically,  saying  nothing,  and  his  mother  continued: 

"  It  is  yours  to  do  with  what  you  will.  But  you  must 
by  means  of  it  find  the  income  to  replace  what  the  bonds 
yielded,  or  else  you  have  that  much  less  to  live  on.  Now, 
Walter,  I  am  going  to  do  what  is  very  hard  for  me  who 
have  allowed  little  of  the  feeling  within  me  to  be  dis 
closed  to  others,  even  to  my  own  son,  the  dread  of  having 
it  scorned  has  been  too  great;  I  am  going  to  plead  with  you 
as  a  mother.  You  wounded  me,  as  probably  you  intended, 
in  saying  what  I  have  was  all  your  father's  and  intimated 
that  I  have  withheld  from  you  your  birthright.  What 
have  I  in  this  world  but  you?  What  have  I  done  for  my 
own  pleasure  since  your  father's  death?  Have  not  all 
my  efforts  and  plans  been  for  your  happiness?  What  is 
my  life?  A  miserable,  arid  desert,  the  dragging  of  a 
weary  soul  through  day  after  day  of  flavorless  existence, 
when  one  breath  of  sincere  affection,  one  glance  of  filial 
love  from  you,  showing  that  my  life  meant  something  of 
value  and  pleasure  to  you,  would  turn  it  into  an  Eden. 
What  your  father  gave  me  I  guard  with  care,  so  that 
neither  one  of  us  may  come  to  want ;  to  save  me  from  myself, 
for  my  pride  could  never  endure  the  mortification  of  pov 
erty,  and  to  save  you  from  being  left,  through  your  own 
recklessness,  without  the  means  of  existence.  There  has 
been  one  purpose  in  the  administration  and  disposition  of 
the  estate  I  hold,  and  that  is  your  ultimate  benefit.  But, 
enough  of  this  subject;  what  I  wished  to  speak  to  you 
about  particularly  is  your  present  life;  what  it  really  is 
has  been  brought  to  my  knowledge.  Your  associates  are 
gamblers  and  profligates  and  your  habits  are  anything  but 
reputable,  they  are  immoral." 

Stanley  glanced  at  her  angrily,  and  was  about  to  re 
tort,  when  she  went  on: 

"  Stop,  Walter,  I  do  not  wish  to  quarrel  with  you,  I 
am  not  upbraiding  you,  and  am  not  speaking  in  anger. 
I  simply  implore  you  not  to  bring  disgrace  upon  us  both." 


396  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  What  difference  does  it  make  what  my  personal  habits 
and  association  are,  so  long  as  I  keep  away  from  courts 
and  from  behind  prison  bars,  as  long  as  you  are  not  the 
mother  of  a  felon  ?  Morality  has  little  place  in  our  philoso 
phy,  and  as  for  disgrace,  have  you  not  always  expressed 
your  contempt  for  what  the  world  thought  of  you?" 

"  When  have  I  ever  said  to  you  or  implied  in  word  or 
conduct  that  morality  was  not  essential  to  gentility?  Have 
I  not  again  and  again  told  you  that  my  ambition  was  to 
have  you  a  true  gentleman,  and  how  can  this  be  if  bes 
tiality  makes  your  conduct  filthy,  or  you  hold  companion 
ship  with  a  vulgar  and  besotted?  Has  not  my  own  con 
duct  been  an  example  to  you?  When  has  a  breath  of 
scandal  rested  upon  my  life?  When  have  you  heard  a  vul 
gar  word  escape  my  lips  ?  You  are  right  in  saying  I 
care  nothing  for  the  world's  opinion  and  criticism,  but 
what  sustains  me  in  this?  It  is  my  pride,  my  pride  based 
upon  my  gentility  and  superior  conduct.  If  you  have  not 
pride  of  birth,  pride  of  intellect  that  lifts  you  above  the 
beasts,  pride  of  education,  that  makes  you  hold  low  things 
in  contempt,  what  have  you?  To  bring  disgrace  upon  me 
through  the  degradation  of  you,  my  son,  would  be  to  destroy 
that  pride  and  take  away  my  life  whose  only  prop  it  is.  If 
you  are  reckless  concerning  yourself,  I  ask  you  as  my 
son,  and  I  am  humbling  myself  as  I  never  did  before  in 
begging  it  of  you,  spare  me,  your  mother.  Your  talents 
and  education  admit  you  to  a  cleaner  association,  where 
they  can  be  made  more  profitable  and  afford  as  much  ex 
citement  and  diversion,  as  with  the  low  and  villainous." 

She  ceased  and  gazed  intently  at  Walter,  awaiting  some 
reply.  All  appearance  of  bravado  had  left  him,  and  if 
he  had  the  intention  to  display  any  resentment,  he  was  pow 
erless  to  do  so;  he  was  a  weakling  when  confronted  with 
the  force  of  her  impressive  presence.  At  last  he  said: 

"  Mother,  I  have  nothing  to  answer  now.  I  will  think 
over  what  you  have  said.  I  certainly  do  not  wish  to  dis 
grace  you  or  myself  either,  and  it  will  not  happen.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  any  reports  you  have  heard  are  grossly 
exaggerated,"  and  he  walked  away.  When  recovered  from 
the  spell  of  her  earnest  words  and  dramatic  voice,  he  said 
to  himself: 


THE  HOUND  A  FRIEND  397 

"  She  should  have  delivered  her  lectures  on  morality 
earlier  in  my  life,  and  displayed  her  maternal  feeling  when 
I  was  a  boy;  it  might  have  had  more  effect.  Well,  I  ought 
to  be  proud  of  her,  she  is  a  remarkable  woman." 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

THE   MURDER  OF   TOM  EDWARDS 

MR.  CRAWSON  had  purchased  a  lot  adjoining  the  Ameri 
can  Hotel,  and  was  erecting  a  building  on  it  which  he  in 
tended  for  hotel  purposes,  though  he  confided  this  intention 
only  to  his  attorney,  Gen.  Donaldson.  As  they  were  to 
bear  little  weight,  and  bed  rock  was  shallow  there,  at 
least  so  he  said,  the  foundations  were  not  massive.  The 
walls  consisted  of  two  layers  of  brick,  laid  sideways,  with 
a  space  between  them  and  here  and  there  a  brick  stuck  in 
edgeways  as  a  brace.  The  timbers  were  very  light,  so  as 
to  be  flexible  in  case  of  an  earthquake,  and  projected  through 
the  inside  wall  up  against  the  one  outside.  Mr.  Crawson 
appeared  to  be  very  desirous  that  his  acquaintances,  who 
noticed  the  building,  should  understand  the  theory  under 
which  he  was  acting  in  what  was  an  uncomomn  method 
of  hotel  construction,  and  invited  Herman,  among  others, 
to  inspect  it. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Thomas,"  he  said,  "  you  notice  that  there 
is  a  space  between  these  two  walls,  and  in  that  space  there 
is  of  course,  sir,  hair.  Now  a  column  of  hair  is  as  strong 
as  a  column  of  brick  or  stone,  so  that  in  henclosing  this 
column  of  hair  I  ave  a  wall  as  thick  as  the  brick  and 
the  space  between  them.  In  this  way  I  ave  a  wall 
strong  enough  for  hany  purpose,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
beautiful  ventilation.  If  you  run  your  and  in  the  buttock 
oles  hof  my  ouse  you  will  feel  the  hair  rushing  through." 

Here  Pinto  Bruto,  who  had  been  standing  nearby  un 
noticed,  making  hangman's  knots  out  of  a  piece  of  bale- 
rope  he  had  picked  up,  stepped  forward,  and  intervened 
in  the  conversation: 

"  A  ollow  wall  is  all  right  if  you  don't  ave  a  fire,  but 
it  makes  a  ell  of  a  flue,"  he  said. 

Mr.  Crawson  turned  on  him  savagely,  and  said: 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  sticking  in  your  hugly  mug  and 

398 


THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS    390 

cheeky  gab  when  gentleman  hare  conversing,  you  d — d 
cockney." 

"  You  calls  me  a  cockney,,  does  you/'  retorted  Pinto  Bruto 
viciously;  "you  calls  yourself  a  gentleman  does  you;  why 
you  bloody  Sidney  Duck,  I've  anged  many  a  better  gentle 
man  than  you,  and  I'm  blowed  if  I  don't  think  when  I  gets  a 
good  look  at  you,  that  you're  Bill  Anson,  as  was  sentenced 
to  be  anged  in  Queensland,  and  broke  jail  when  I  ad  the 
gallows  all  ready  for  im.  Me  a  cockney?  You  never 
ears  me  put  a  extra  h  on  a  word,  and  you  sticks  em  on 
worse'n  a  London  cabby." 

"  Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  I  am  astonished  at  you  bring 
ing  into  disrepute  that  classical  dialect  which  is  a  dis 
tinction  to  anyone  that  uses  it  fluently  in  conversation.  I 
am  a  cockney  myself,  and  I  am  grieved  to  have  you  re 
gard  it  as  a  term  of  reproach." 

This  was  uttered  in  a  serious  tone  by  one  who  had  come 
up  back  of  Herman.  Turning  he  saw  Sir  Roger,  in  im 
maculate  suit,  silk  hat  and  jeweled  cane,  who  gave  him 
a  sly  wink,  and  continued: 

"  There  is,  as  the  gentleman  with  the  bale-rope  appears 
to  intimate,  a  distinction  that,  to  a  certain  extent,  figures 
in  the  reading  of  the  social  scale,  and  certain  ones  of 
those  who  show  their  liberality  in  the  dispensing  with  their 
aspirates  from  the  English  language  as  it  is  conventionally 
written,  are  known  to  claim  that  those  who  are  equally 
liberal  in  applying  them  where  written  orthography  omits 
them,  belong  socially  to  an  inferior  caste;  but  I  think  this 
is  unj  ust ;  for  I  have  found  numbers  of  the  latter  class  who 
have  as  much  breeding  as  the  former;  in  fact  I  think  that 
taking  generally  those  who  use  the  dialect,  there  are  no 
degrees  of  social  standing  in  Cockneydom." 

Mr.  Crawson  stared  at  the  new  intruder  hardly  know 
ing  whether  to  treat  him  brutally  as  he  had  done  Pinto 
Bruto,  or  with  a  dignified  contempt,  when  Herman  shook 
hands  with  him,  and  introduced  him,  with  affected  cere- 
moniousness. 

"  Your  hobedient  servant,  Sir  Roger ;  ham  proud  to  meet  a 
brother  Henglishmn  so  far  from  ome.  I  was  just  hexibiting 
to  my  friend  Mr.  Thomas,  a  little  structure  I  am  erecting  hin 
accordance  with  my  hown  hideas  of  harchitecture." 


400  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  I  would  be  glad  to  avail  myself,"  said  Sir  Roger,  "  of 
the  opportunity  of  learning  any  novelty  in  building  con 
struction.  I  am  president  of  a  London  insurance  com 
pany  and  take  great  interest  in  these  matters." 

"  Ahem/'  exclaimed  Mr.  Crawson,  looking  at  his  watch, 
"  I  find  that  I  ave  just  time  to  keep  an  appointment;  some 
other  day,  Sir  Roger,  I  should  be  glad  to  give  you  my 
hideas,"  and  he  started  away,  not  however  before  Pinto 
Bruto,  as  he  drew  a  noose  tight  around  an  imaginary  neck, 
had  given  him  a  parting  shot: 

"  That  cove  doesn't  want  any  insurance  experts  around 
ere  till  after  the  fire." 

'*  I  am  pleased  to  meet  you  again,  Sir  Roger,  and  hope 
you  will  gain  very  favorable  impressions  of  our  hamlet 
by  the  sea,  as  well  as  the  country  about  it,"  said  Herman, 
after  a  quiet  laugh  over  Crawson's  retreat. 

"  I  have  fallen  in  love  with  the  place  already,  Mr. 
Thomas,  though  I  only  landed  an  hour  since.  I  am  a  rather 
rapid  observer,  and  my  impressions  are  formed  quickly, 
and  they  are  certainly  most  favorable." 

"  Well,  when  you  can  steal  the  time  from  your  busi 
ness  companions,"  said  Herman,  "  I  would  be  glad  to  show 
you  a  little  attention,  and  find  you  some  entertainment,  not 
exactly  of  the  kind  Old  Taps  affords,  but  probably  of  greater 
novelty  to  you." 

Sir  Roger  thanked  him  and  went  to  join  his  party.  Her 
man  having  a  matter  before  a  justice  of  peace,  a  native 
Californian,  a  venerable  relic  of  the  Mexican  regime,  who 
administered  justice  for  the  benefit  of  his  paisano  friends 
in  an  old  adobe  near  the  Commandante  Casa,  betook  himself 
to  his  court  by  the  shortest  way,  back  of  the  Crawson 
edifice,  through  the  hotel  back  yard,  and  as  he  passed  a 
corral  shielded  by  a  shed  from  view  of  the  street,  he  noticed 
Buckley  standing  by  the  fence  talking  with  Vanegas  who 
was  mounted  and  had  his  riata  on  his  saddle  and  his 
blanket  strapped  back  of  it.  They  were  talking  in  a 
low  tone  of  voice,  and  did  not  seem  to  notice  him.  Buckley 
was  cutting  notches  in  the  fence  with  his  penknife,  and 
Vanegas  was  leaning  over  him  so  close  that  the  red  hand 
kerchief  knotted  about  his  neck  nearly  touched  his  face; 
and  an  expression  of  fiendish  cunning  was  on  his  brutal  face. 


THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS    401 

Herman  was  mentally  oppressed  and  worried  at  seeing  these 
parties  evidently  conspiring  together,  and  he  could  not 
throw  off  the  feeling.  He  remembered  the  conversation  he 
had  overheard  between  them  the  night  of  the  political  meet 
ing  at  Santa  Susana,  and  also  the  incident  of  the  conversa 
tion  in  San  Francisco  between  Buckley  and  the  woman, 
the  companion  of  Edwards,  and  he  felt  that  the  two  had 
reference  to  the  same  scheme  and  that  it  involved  the  per 
petration  of  some  nefarious  act.  He  had  a  presentiment 
that  a  great  crime  or  outrage  was  on  the  eve  of  being 
committed  by  them  or  through  their  agency.  The  same 
evening  he  received  a  letter  from  Howells  that  convinced 
him  that  this  pair  of  scoundrels  intended  foul  play  to 
Howells'  friend  Edwards.  Howells  wrote: 

"  Upon  my  return  to  the  City  I  find  that  my  foolhardy 
friend,  Edwards,  to  whom  I  introduced  you  at  the  What 
Cheer  House,  I  believe  disregarding  all  my  cautioning, 
started  some  ten  days  ago  down  to  Santa  Susana  on  horse 
back,  with  a  considerable  sum  of  money  on  him,  drawn  out  of 
bank  here,  and  I  doubt  if  he  took  pains  to  conceal  his 
movements.  He  had  been  drinking  pretty  heavily  and  up 
to  the  time  he  left  had  in  tow  one  of  tire  sharpest  fast 
women  in  San  Francisco.  He  ought  to  be  getting  into  St. 
Agnes  about  the  time  this  letter  reaches  you,  if  he  has  not 
been  waylaid,  and  I  wish  you  would  keep  a  look  out  for 
him  and  see  that  he  and  his  money  are  taken  care  of  until 
he  has  bought  and  paid  for  his  property." 

Herman  felt  that  something  should  be  done  at  once  to 
protect  Edwards  from  violence,  but  he  was  at  a  loss  to  know 
what  action  to  take.  Night  had  come,  and  Vanegas  had 
left  a  couple  of  hours  before,  and  would  no  doubt  inter 
cept  his  victim  before  it  would  be  possible  to  reach  him. 
He  hunted  up  Sigismund  and  told  him  the  circumstances, 
more  to  relieve  his  mind  than  with  hope  of  his  being  able 
to  suggest  anything  to  be  done.  Sigismund  said  that  he 
had  arranged  to  go  with  Brooks,  Espinosa  and  Sir  Roger 
to  El  Roblar  Viejo  the  next  morning,  and  he  could  keep 
a  watch  for  Edwards  and  post  others  along  the  road  to 
warn  him  of  possible  danger  if  they  met  him.  But  he 
could  see  nothing  that  Herman  could  do  that  night.  While 
they  were  talking  Pancho  came  up  and  greeted  them. 


402  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Herman  asked  him  if  he  could  spare  a  day  or  two  to 
make  a  trip  for  him.  On  his  replying  that  he  could 
arrange  to  be  away  from  the  rancho  for  several  days,  Her 
man  told  him  that  he  feared  that  an  acquaintance  who  was 
traveling  on  horseback  from  San  Francisco,  and  should 
reach  St.  Agnes  about  this  time,  might  be  in  danger  of 
being  waylaid  and  robbed,  and  he  wanted  to  try  get  a 
word  of  warning  to  him  through  one  who  could  be  a  body 
guard  for  him  into  town,  and  asked  Pancho  if  he  could  start 
out  at  daybreak  the  next  morning  on  this  errand.  Pancho 
readily  agreed  to  do  it.  Herman  described  Edwards  as 
well  as  he  could  and  instructed  him  to  keep  his  eye  on  the 
road  and  look  for  any  signs  of  a  disturbance  or  struggle; 
for  he  feared  that  he  might  have  already  met  with  foul 
play.  He  also  instructed  Pancho,  if  he  should  see  Vanegas 
anywhere  to  note  his  appearance  and  actions  and  where 
he  appeared  to  be  coming  from  and  going  to. 

Herman  passed  a  restless  night ;  it  was  impossible  to  drive 
from  his  mind  the  thought  of  Edwards  and  the  possibility 
of  his  having  met  with  foul  play,  and  when  he  arose  early 
the  next  morning  the  presentiment  was  fixed  in  his  mind 
that  Howells'  letter  had  reached  its  destination  too  late 
to  save  his  friend. 

He  had  finished  breakfast  and  had  just  seen  Brooks 
and  his  party  drive  off  when  Pancho  dashed  up  to  the 
hotel,  threw  himself  off  his  horse  and  came  up  to  Her 
man. 

"Too  late,"  he  said;  "the  man  has  been  robbed  and 
murdered  only  five  miles  from  town.  When  I  reached  the 
aguajes,  just  where  the  road  goes  down  into  the  canon  in 
the  willows  I  saw  foot  marks  of  a  couple  of  horses,  some 
drawn  as  appears  when  a  horse  braces  himself  when  the 
riata  is  thrown,  and  a  broad  path  through  the  dust  into 
the  underbrush  as  if  a  body  had  been  dragged  along.  I 
followed  this  trail  up  the  canon,  and  about  a  hundred 
yards  from  the  road  I  found  the  corpse  of  the  man  you 
describe,  with  the  marks  of  the  riata  on  his  neck  and 
several  knife  wounds  in  his  breast.  I  examined  the  cloth 
ing  enough  to  see  that  everything  of  value  had  been  taken, 
except  his  revolver  and  a  ring  and  locket  which  I  did  not 
disturb." 


THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS    403 

"  It  is  horrible,"  said  Herman ;  "  but  I  felt  that  you 
would  never  find  him  alive.  Did  you  see  anything  of 
Vahegas  ?  " 

"  When  I  was  starting  out  this  morning  I  went  to  the  Span 
ish  restaurant  to  get  a  cup  of  coffee  and  found  Vanegas 
there  taking  breakfast.  He  asked  me  if  I  was  going  to  the 
ranch  and  told  me  that  he  had  intended  to  go  to  El  Roblar 
Viejo  ahead  of  Brooks,  but  he  had  found  this  morning  that 
his  horse  was  lame." 

Herman  immediately  telegraphed  Howells,  and  then  noti 
fied  the  sheriff,  coroner  and  Dr.  Vanderpool.  He  cau 
tioned  them  and  Pancho  not  to  disclose  the  fact  of  the 
murder  until  the  body  had  been  examined  by  them  and 
brought  into  town,  and  explained  to  the  sheriff  that  he 
believed  he  could  point  out  the  murderer  and  his  accomplice, 
and  had  him  detail  a  couple  of  shrewd  men  in  whom  he  had 
absolute  confidence  and  who  were  equal  to  handling  such 
desperadoes  if  necessary,  to  shadow  Vanegas  and  Buck 
ley,  with  instructions  to  arrest  either  one  of  the  parties  with 
out  ceremony,  if  he  attempted  to  get  away  from  town.  They 
then  repaired  to  the  scene  of  the  tragedy. 

The  stillness  of  death  rested  on  the  spot;  not  a  breath  of 
air  was  stirring;  a  heavy  fog  had  come  up  in  the  night 
and  enveloped  the  canon,  as  if  it  were  to  shield  the  ghastly 
spectacle  from  the  eyes  of  man,  yet  preserving  each  mark 
and  trace  of  the  brutal  deed  to  tell  the  history  of  the 
crime  and  track  the  steps  of  the  guilty.  They  scrutinized 
thoroughly  the  ground.  The  impression  in  the  dirt  of  one 
of  the  horse  shoes  gave  the  appearance  of  one  prong  of 
the  shoe  being  shorter  than  the  other.  They  then  examined 
the  body.  The  mark  of  a  riata  was  plainly  visible  on  the 
neck.  The  upper  part  of  the  body  was  clothed  with  a 
woolen  shirt  drenched  with  blood.  There  were  three  clean 
cut  wounds  from  the  thrust  of  a  sharp  knife,  and  on  either 
side  of  each  knife  wound  was  a  round  indentation  in  the 
flesh,  as  if  a  small  spike  had  been  driven  in,  in  some  places 
cutting  through  the  woolen  shirt,  and  in  others  imbedding 
it  in  the  flesh.  Dr.  Vanderpool  called  Herman's  atten 
tion  to  this.  All  of  value  upon  his  person  was  a  massive 
gold  ring  set  with  a  handsome  specimen  of  quartz,  and  a 
locket  containing  the  picture  of  an  old  woman,  and  on  the 


404          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

reverse  side  a  lock  of  gray  hair  beneath  a  gold  band  on 
which  was  roughly  engraved,  as  if  with  a  penknife, 
"  Mother."  A  rifled  money  belt  lay  on  the  ground  beside 
the  body.  After  the  examination  of  the  body,  the  sheriff 
remarked  that  the  victim's  horse  should  be  nearby  and  they 
went  up  the  canon  in  search  of  it.  About  a  hundred  yards 
above,  they  came  across  its  carcass.  It  had  been  shot 
through  the  head.  The  saddle  and  bridle  were  on  it,  and 
on  the  ground  close  by  were  a  blanket,  coat,  and  a  leather 
rifle  case  that  had  been  sewed  up  with  leather  thongs 
which  were  cut  with  a  knife,  and  beside  it  a  long  piece  of 
chamois.  The  sheriff  picked  the  case  up  and  looked  inside, 
then  gave  it  a  rap  against  a  tree,  and  a  bright  new  double 
eagle  rolled  out  upon  the  ground.  He  examined  it  and 
found  that  it  was  a  new  piece  of  the  latest  San  Francisco 
coinage.  They  took  off  the  saddle  and  bridle  and  put 
them  with  the  other  things  in  the  wagon  brought  out  for 
the  purpose,  and  then  gently  lifted  in  the  remains  of  the 
murdered  man,  and  covered  them  with  his  blanket,  and 
Pancho  with  the  coroner  drove  it  into  town,  the  others  fol 
lowing.  When  the  wagon  had  started  Herman  advised  the 
Sheriff,  who  was  on  horseback,  to  ride  in  ahead  of  the 
wagon  and  arrest  Vanegas  immediately  and  search  him,  and 
he  believed  that  he  would  find  the  knife  with  which  the 
murderous  work  had  been  done.  He  informed  him  of  how 
he  had  through  accidental  circumstances  examined  the 
knife  he  always  carried  with  him,  and  told  him  of  the  pro 
jecting  points  on  either  side  of  the  blades  which  he  had 
no  doubt  made  the  peculiar  indentations  beside  the  cuts. 
As  to  Buckley  he  thought  he  had  better  be  closely  watched, 
but  not  arrested  until  he  had  heard  from  the  City.  On 
reaching  town  Herman  found  awaiting  him  a  dispatch  from 
Howells,  requesting  him  to  attend  the  inquest  with  Dr. 
Vanderpool  and  to  take  every  step  necessary  to  preserve  all 
evidence  and  objects  which  could  possibly  furnish  a  clue 
to  the  discovery  of  the  murderer.  Also  to  watch  for  the 
passing  of  new  gold  pieces  of  recent  coinage. 

Herman  then  wired  him  to  interview  the  woman  com 
panion  of  Edwards  and  telegraph  result,  and  informing 
him  of  her  conversation  with  Buckley  after  being  with 
Edwards.  When  he  left  the  telegraph  office  he  met  the 


THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS    405 

Sheriff,  who  said,  "  Vanegas  is  locked  up  with  a  guard  on 
the  jail  under  orders  to  let  no  one  see  or  speak  to  him.  He 
is  the  right  man;  I  have  his  knife,  and  it  was  his  horse's 
shoe  made  the  impression  we  noticed,  and  what  is  more, 
I  have  a  couple  of  hundred  dollars  of  those  new  twenties, 
taken  from  his  pocket." 

At  Herman's  request,  who  gave  his  reasons,  the  Sheriff 
had  the  inquest  put  over  two  days.  The  next  evening  the 
following  telegram  came  from  Howells,  "  Full  confession 
from  Woman.  She  posted  Buckley  on  Edward's  move 
ments.  Shadow  Buckley.  Arrest  him  if  he  attempts  leav 
ing.  Start  for  St.  Agnes  freight  steamer  to-morrow." 
Herman  looked  up  the  Sheriff,  found  him  in  the  bar-room  of 
the  American  Hotel  and  showed  him  the  telegram.  The 
room  was  crowded  with  men  who  stood  about  talking  ear 
nestly,  and  the  bar-keepers  were  taxed  to  their  utmost  ca 
pacity  in  ministering  to  the  thirst  of  the  crowd  that  kept 
pace  with  the  excitement  of  discussion.  No  one  was  play 
ing  billiards  and  the  card  rooms  were  deserted.  The  sole 
topic  of  conversation  was  the  murder,  and  the  arrest  of 
Vanegas.  At  one  end  of  the  bar  stood  Buckley  with  his 
cane  under  his  arm  quietly  smoking  a  cigar,  and  next  to 
him  was  Mr.  Hill  with  his  back  to  the  counter.  He  had 
been  retained  by  Vanegas  for  his  defense  and  had  just 
come  from  talking  with  him,  by  permission  of  the  Sheriff. 
He  was  voicing  his  views  in  a  tone  of  voice  that  could  be 
heard  over  the  room,  above  the  surrounding  hum  and  clat 
ter  of  conversation,  in  the  endeavor  to  create  a  feeling  of 
sympathy  with  his  client. 

"Why,  boys,  there  is  not  a  particle  of  evidence  justify 
ing  the  arrest  of  this  man.  I  will  prove  by  a  dozen  wit 
nesses  that  Vanegas  was  here  in  town  the  day  of  the  mur 
der  and  at  early  morning  the  following  day." 

"  That  I  can  vouch  for,"  remarked  Buckley.  "  I 
played  casino  with  him  late  in  the  evening  and  walked  home 
with  him." 

"  Besides/'  continued  Hill,  "  anybody  that  knows  Vane 
gas  knows  that  he  is  familiar  with  every  trail  in  the  coun 
try,  and  can  tell  always  where  to  pick  up  a  fresh  horse 
when  he  needs  one  in  any  part  of  Southern  California,  and 
if  he  got  a  few  hours'  start  he  would  be  across  the  Mexican 


406  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

border  before  a  posse  could  get  within  a  day  of  him.  Now, 
if  he  had  committed  this  murder  he  wouldn't  have  been 
loafing  around  here;  he  wouldn't  have  taken  any  chances, 
but  would  have  skipped  with  his  spoils." 

"  It  ain't  going  to  do  you  and  it  ain't  goin  to  do  your 
cutthroat  client  no  good  your  shootin  your  mouth  off  be 
fore  the  coroner's  inquest/'  said  an  old  forty-niner  who 
had  drifted  down  from  the  mines  with  a  pair  of  mules 
and  was  now  teaming  in  St.  Agnes.  "  There  ain't  no  man 
here,  who  has  seen  his  mug,  that  don't  think  he  ought  to 
be  hung  anyhow.  And  I'm  goin  to  tell  you  right  now, 
there  will  be  enough  of  us  gringos  at  that  inquest,  besides 
the  jury,  to  know  if  your  man  did  the  killing,  and  if  we 
think  he  did  and  you  get  him  off,  the  hanging'll  come  off 
jest  the  same  even  if  there  ain't  no  gallows.  I  knowed 
Tom  Edwards;  I've  mined  and  grubbed  and  slept  under 
the  same  blankets  with  him,  and  no  better  man  ever  crossed 
the  plains.  And  his  black-hearted  murderer  ain't  goin  to 
escape  if  I  can  git  some  sort  of  a  chance  at  him." 

"Good  for  you,  Sam;  you're  the  right  sort;  them's  our 
sentiments,"  came  a  voice  from  the  crowd.  "  We'll  stick 
by  you,  old  man;  d — d  the  black  devil,  we'll  help  to  swing 
him  and  any  man  that  helped  him  onto  his  victim." 

Pinto  Bruto  here  wormed  his  way  through  the  crowd 
to  the  miner,  and  said: 

"  Please,  Mr.  Slater,  let  me  know  when  you're  going  to 
ang  im.  I'll  work  im  off  for  you  and  give  the  boys  all 
the  fun  they  wants  pullin  on  the  rope.  It's  all  the  same  to 
me  if  it's  a  gallows  or  a  lamp-post  or  a  tree,  if  I  andles  im 
e  dances  on  nothink  afore  e  as  time  to  pass  the  compliments 
of  the  season." 

"  Well,  Hill,  the  majority  is  against  you,"  said  Buckley, 
"  on  deciding  the  case  before  the  evidence.  Let's  drink  to 
the  conviction  and  execution  of  the  real  murderer,  you  or 
nobody  else  can  object  to  that.  Come,  Sheriff,  and  you, 
Sam,  join  us,"  and  he  threw  down  on  the  counter  a  bright, 
new  twenty. 

"  Or  murderers,"  said  the  Sheriff,  "  for  somebody  must 
have  set  the  trap  besides  the  man  that  sprung  it.  What 
a  beautiful  thing  a  new  twenty  is,"  he  continued,  picking 
up  the  coin  from  the  counter  and  examining  it.  "  Why,  it 


THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS    407 

is  fresh  from  the  mint.     Where  did  you  get  that  beauty, 
Buckley?" 

There  was  an  unusual  tremor  in  Buckley's  hand  as  he 
took  the  gold  piece  and  examined  it.  "I  had  not  noticed 
the  date  of  the  coinage,"  he  replied.  "  I  got  some  fresh 
coin  a  couple  of  weeks  ago  when  I  cashed  a  check  at  a 
bank  in  the  City.  I  guess  this  is  one  of  the  lot." 

The  inquest  took  place  the  following  day.  All  the  facts 
within  the  knowledge  of  Herman  and  the  Sheriff  were  for 
obvious  reasons  not  disclosed.  The  knife  found  on  Vane- 
gas,  which  on  close  examination  showed,  in  a  little  incrusta 
tion  of  what  appeared  to  be  blood,  on  the  hilt  around  the 
blade,  one  or  two  threads  of  wool,  like  those  about  the 
cuts  in  the  murdered  man's  shirt;  and  its  peculiar  project 
ing  pins  that,  without  any  question,  caused  the  indentations 
besides  the  wounds.  And  this  with  the  impressions  made  by 
the  horseshoe,  was  all  that  was  required  to  enable  the 
coroner's  jury  to  render  a  verdict,  which  was  to  the  effect 
that  deceased  came  to  his  death  by  a  felonious  assault  com 
mitted  by  Anastacio  Vanegas,  whom  they  charged  with  de 
liberate  and  premeditated  murder. 

The  second  morning  after  the  inquest,  at  daybreak,  a 
small  freight  steamer  came  into  port.  There  was  a  little 
group  at  the  end  of  the  wharf  waiting  for  the  steamer's 
boat;  one  of  it  was  Buckley,  standing  beside  a  trunk  bear 
ing  his  initials,  on  which  rested  his  valise.  The  Sheriff  stood 
on  the  wharf's  edge  watching  the  approaching  boat.  He 
had  remarked  to  the  others  that  he  was  expecting  a  prisoner. 
The  first  to  land  were  Howells  and  a  woman  dressed  in 
black,  heavily  veiled.  The  Sheriff  met  him  as  he  stepped 
from  the  gangway  and  held  a  brief  whispered  conversation 
with  him.  He  then  walked  over  to  Buckley  and,  taking  his 
arm,  said,  "  You  are  my  prisoner,  and  I  shall  have  to  ask 
you  to  return  to  town  with  me." 

"  Your  prisoner !  "  exclaimed  Buckley.  "  What  do  you 
mean  ?  On  what  charge  ?  " 

Here  Howells  stepped  up  and  said: 

"  You  are  arrested  at  my  direction  as  accessory  to  the 
murder  of  Edwards." 

Buckley's  grit  and  nerve  left  him  for  an  instant,  and 
he  staggered  against  a  pile.  Then  bracing  himself,  he 


408          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

stretched  out  his  arm  to  take  his  valise,  when  Howells 
seized  it,  saying: 

"  Never  mind  your  baggage,  the  Sheriff  and  I  will  look 
out  for  that." 

"  This  is  some  of  your  d — d  spite  work,  Howells,"  said 
Buckley ;  "  but  I  will  get  even.  I  demand  to  be  taken  be 
fore  a  magistrate  immediately." 

"  That's  all  right,  Buckley,  my  boy;  as  soon  as  the 
justice  gets  around  to  his  office,  we'll  interview  him  to 
gether.  I  would  ask  you  to  breakfast  with  me  at  the  St. 
Louis,  but  I've  invited  another  friend.  I  have  no  doubt 
the  Sheriff  will  be  glad  to  have  you  join  him  in  a  square 
meal  at  the  American  Hotel  or  any  eating  house  you  may 
select.  Your  stomach  may  need  fortifying  before  you  get 
through  with  the  magistrate  you  are  in  such  a  hurry  to  be 
taken  before,  and  when  you  find  out  there  is  more  than 
spite  work  in  this  little  episode.  But  I  want  to  tell  you 
this,  Buckley,"  and  the  detective's  voice  lost  its  banter,  and 
had  in  it  a  very  menacing  and  sinister  tone,  "  if  you  had  a 
hand  in  the  murder  of  my  old  friend,  Tom  Edwards,  and 
I  am  pretty  positive  at  this  time  you  had,  I  will  land  you 
on  the  gallows  if  it  costs  me  the  last  cent  I  have." 

Buckley  fell  back  a  pace,  as  if  he  feared  attack,  and  in 
voluntarily  put  his  hand  on  his  pistol. 

"  If  you  please,"  said  the  Sheriff,  "  I  will  take  that 
little  joker;  and  none  of  your  nonsense  or  I'll  clap  the 
bracelets  on  you,"  and  he  transferred  Buckley's  revolver 
to  his  own  pocket. 

As  soon  as  the  justice  court  opened  Howells  was  on  hand 
with  Herman  and  the  district  attorney,  and  made  a  formal 
complaint  accusing  Buckley  as  an  accessory  to  the  murder 
of  Edwards.  The  woman  that  landed  with  Howells  from 
the  steamer  had  accompanied  him  to  the  court,  and  was 
ushered  into  a  little  apartment  off  the  court-room,  and  the 
door  left  ajar  so  that  she  could  see  and  hear  without  being 
seen.  A  few  minutes  after  the  complaint  was  drawn  the 
Sheriff  appeared  with  his  prisoner,  the  district  attorney 
and  Hill,  Buckley's  attorney.  They  were  followed  by  a 
number  of  the  American  Hotel  bar-room  frequenters,  ac 
quaintances  of  Buckley  who  had  gotten  wind  of  the  ar 
rest. 


THE  MURDER  OF  TOM  EDWARDS         409 

The  first  witness  called  was  Herman.  He  testified  as 
to  the  conversation  he  and  Bebeleche  had  overheard  the 
night  of  the  meeting  at  Santa  Susana  between  Buckley  and 
Vanegas,  and  of  his  having  seen  in  San  Francisco  Buckley 
in  conversation  with  the  woman  with  whom  Edwards  had 
spent  the  evening,  and  also  as  to  his  coming  across  him 
talking  to  Vanegas  the  afternoon  before  the  murder.  Buck 
ley's  face  had  been  growing  darker  and  darker  with  anger, 
and  as  Herman  concluded  his  testimony,  he  sprang  to  his 
feet  and  seizing  a  heavy  inkstand,  aimed  it  at  the  wit 
ness's  head;  but  before  he  had  time  to  hurl  it,  with  a 
lightning-like  movement,  Howells  struck  down  his  arm  and 
clapped  a  pair  of  handcuffs  on  his  wrists.  His  face  con 
vulsed  with  rage,  and  shaking  his  fists  at  Herman,  he 
yelled: 

"  You  d — d  sneaking  meddlesome  skunk,  I  could  have 
told  that  you  were  at  the  bottom  of  this.  No  hangman  will 
ever  put  his  hands  on  me.  I'll  live,  and  don't  you  forget 
it,  and  I'll  live  to  get  your  heart's  blood,  you  dog." 

The  Sheriff  pushed  him  back  into  his  seat,  and  the  old 
justice  said  quietly,  with  his  Tennesseean  drawl: 

"  Sheriff,  if  the  prisoner  opens  his  mouth  again  until 
he's  asked  to,  gag  him  with  a  ruler.  Proceed  with  the 
testimony." 

Howells  went  to  the  adjoining  room  and  brought  out  the 
woman,  who  took  her  seat  on  the  witness  chair. 

"Do  you  know  that  man  —  the  prisoner  there?"  asked 
the  district  attorney.  The  witness  removed  her  veil  from 
her  face,  gave  a  look  at  him,  and  said: 

"  Yes,  that  is  Tom  Buckley." 

At  the  sight  of  her  face,  every  bit  of  life  seemed  to 
leave  Buckley.  He  sank  back  in  his  chair,  and  his  hands 
trembled  so  that  the  manacles  grated  against  each  other. 
It  was  the  woman  that  Herman  and  Sigismund  had  seen 
in  company  with  Edwards  at  the  theatre  and  later  in  con 
versation  with  Buckley.  Her  features  were  set  and  she 
spoke  in  a  cold  impressionless  voice,  looking  down  upon 
the  floor,  never  raising  her  eyes.  She  said  that  she  had 
known  Buckley  for  several  years,  that  they  had  been  part 
ners  in  some  confidence  games.  That  she  had  known  Ed 
wards  ever  since  he  had  come  from  the  mines,  and  he  had 


410  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

taken  a  fancy  to  her  and  in  his  cups  had  told  her  of  his 
intending  to  purchase  a  ranch  in  Southern  California,  and 
was  going  down  with  the  money  to  buy  it;  that  she  had 
put  Buckley  on  his  track,  telling  him  that  if  he  played  sharp 
the  two  might  get  a  big  haul.  The  night  she  met  Buckley 
at  the  restaurant,  she  had  learned  that  in  two  days  Ed 
wards  would  start  down  to  St.  Agnes,  taking  the  train  to 
Gilroy  and  from  thence  on  horseback,  packing  with  him  a 
large  sum,  and  he  expected  to  reach  St.  Agnes  in  ten  days; 
and  she  told  him  that  he  had  better  look  out  for  him. 
Buckley  said  that  he  would  lay  for  him.  And  then  she 
went  on  to  say: 

"  I'm  no  saint,  and  I've  been  in  a  good  many  shady 
games,  but  there  is  no  murder  in  my  heart  and  no  blood  on 
my  hands;  and  if  I  had  thought  that  Buckley  was  an  as 
sassin,  he'd  never  have  got  a  word  from  me  about  Edwards. 
I  thought  he'd  get  him  drunk  and  roll  him;  but  it  never 
entered  my  head  that  he'd  murder  him." 

Hill  asked  her  no  questions,  and  she  left  the  stand,  re 
turned  to  the  room,  and  awaited  Howells. 

The  justice  demanded  if  the  defense  had  any  witnesses, 
and  after  a  consultation  with  his  client,  Hill  replied  that 
they  would  not  put  in  any  testimony  at  this  hearing.  The 
justice  thereupon  bound  the  prisoner  over  to  await  the  ac 
tion  of  the  grand  jury. 

"  Will  your  Honor  fix  the  amount  of  bail,"  said  Hill. 

"  He  is  remanded  without  bail,"  replied  the  magistrate ; 
"  from  what  has  occurred,  I  have  concluded  that  it  is  bet 
ter  for  the  community,  if  not  for  him,  that  he  remain  in 
confinement." 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

SIR    ROGER    WORSTS    JOHN    MULCAHY   IN    SHAM    BATTLE 

THE  St.  Louis  Hotel  presented  a  lively  appearance  about 
a  week  after  the  events  just  recounted,  and  its  jolly  host 
had  as  much  as  his  fat  hands  and  short  legs  could  attend 
to  in  housing  comfortably  and  feeding  sumptuously  a  num 
ber  of  guests  who  had  arrived,  with  keen  appetites,  late  in 
the  evening  after  a  day  on  the  road.  First  to  come  was  a 
railroad  surveying  party,  consisting  of  an  engineer  and 
his  field-men,  a  right-of-way  man  and  a  solicitor.  They 
were  followed  by  Brooks'  party:  Brooks,  Espinosa,  Sigis- 
mund  and  Sir  Roger,  who  had  gotten  through  with  the  in 
spection  of  El  Roblar  Vie  jo.  The  engineer  and  his  men  had 
been  making  a  reconnoissance  survey  for  what  was  termed 
the  California  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Company,  which  was  the 
California  cracker  to  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  whip.  The 
right-of-way-man  had  been  mesmerizing  the  land  owners 
along  the  coast  to  grant  a  strip  through  their  ranches  for 
a  coast  line  of  railway  to  connect  with  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  transcontinental  line,  and  the  solicitor,  a  mild-man 
nered  and  softly-spoken  gentleman,  was  soliciting  subsidies 
from  the  counties  and  municipalities  that  had  sufficient  of 
the  railroad  craze  to  saddle  themselves  with  a  bonded  in 
debtedness  as  an  inducement  to  obtain  connection  by  rail 
with  some  other  locality.  It  was  generally  understood  at 
this  time  among  those  who  kept  track  of  railroad  schemes, 
that  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  would  fail  in  its  great  project 
to  parallel  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific,  and  the  California 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  was  looked  at  with  suspicion  by  the 
wise  and  well  informed.  The  latter  company  had  applied  to 
San  Francisco  for  a  subsidy  of  ten  million  dollars,  and  in 
the  meanwhile  were  endeavoring  to  pick  up  smaller  bones 
in  the  different  counties  along  the  coast,  and  the  arrival  of 
the  reconnoissance  party  at  the  St.  Louis  meant  the  in- 

411 


412  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL! 

auguration  of  a  campaign  directed  against  the  treasury  of 
St.  Agnes;  a  campaign  which  was  destined  to  sow  more 
seeds  of  dissension  and  cause  more  enmities  and  create 
greater  bitterness  among  those  that  had  been  friends  and 
social  companions  than  any  other  influence  or  element  that 
ever  penetrated  the  precincts  of  St.  Agnes.  The  history 
of  this  campaign,  however,  must  be  told  at  another  time. 
Sufficient  to  say,  St.  Agnes  escaped  the  fate  of  a  number 
of  Western  communities  and  was  not  saddled  with  a  bonded 
indebtedness  created  for  a  mythical  railroad.  Sir  Roger, 
Sigismund  and  Herman  after  dinner  fled  the  St.  Louis  and 
its  gayety  and  established  themselves  cosily  at  the  Wiener- 
halle  for  a  quiet  chat. 

Sir  Roger  knew  how  to  keep  his  counsel,  and  few  could 
read  his  opinion  and  intentions  when  he  chose  to  conceal 
them.  While  possessing  this  secretiveness  and  discretion 
and  being  a  tactful  diplomat,  he  was  at  the  same  time 
candid  and  honest  in  what  he  did  openly  express,  and 
never  misled.  Brooks  was  shrewd  enough  to  meet  him 
with  as  much  frankness  and  openness  as  his  crooked  nature 
was  capable  of,  and  gave  him  opportunity  to  familiarize  him 
self  with  the  physical  features  and  conditions  of  El  Roblar 
Viejo,  as  well  as  the  business  of  the  corporations,  as  dis 
played  by  the  books. 

In  reply  to  the  inquiry  from  Herman  as  to  his  impressions 
concerning  the  property,  he  said  frankly : 

"  I  must  confess,  the  rancho  is  a  finer  estate  and  pos 
sesses  greater  possibilities  of  future  value  than  I  had  sup 
posed.  If  properly  developed,  improved  and  handled,  it 
can  in  time  be  made  to  pay  handsomely.  But  it  is  not  a 
venture  I  can  recommend  to  my  associates  at  the  price 
asked  by  Mr.  Brooks,  representing  the  company.  He  must 
come  down  materially  in  his  figures.  To  be  a  speculation 
with  assurance  of  profit  at  a  much  smaller  purchase  price, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  expend  a  considerable  sum  of  money 
upon  it  and  to  subdivide  it  into  small  holdings  which  I  am 
convinced  can  be  done,  and  a  fair  proportion  of  water 
allotted  to  each.  I  have  to  thank  Mr.  Sigismund  for  dem 
onstrating  this.  But  we  must  be  assured  of  one  thing  be 
fore  we  go  to  any  trouble  or  expense  in  the  matter,  though 
we  may  come  to  terms  as  to  price,  and  that  is,  the  title  to 


SIR  ROGER  WORSTS  JOHN  MULCAHY       413 

the  land  we  buy  must  be  perfect.  This  concerns  you  and 
your  client,  Mr.  Thomas,  who  holds  an  adverse  interest. 
Another  thing,  we  must  have,  to  carry  out  a  perfect  scheme 
of  development  and  subdivision,  the  entire  tract  claimed  by 
Mr.  Brooks  to  be  embraced  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
rancho;  whereas  there  is  an  excitable  old  native  gentleman, 
the  proprietor  of  an  ox-cart,  who  claims  a  considerable  slice 
necessary  to  the  integrity  of  the  property." 

"  I  had  in  reserve  to  tell  you,"  said  Sigismund,  "  that 
upon  our  tour  of  observation,  we  had  a  visit  in  state  from 
our  friend  El  Erizo.  His  scouts,  and  I  believe  the  pigeons 
and  jack-rabbits  are  in  his  detective  force,  advised  him  of 
our  presence  just  about  the  time  we  were  taking  in  the 
disputed  territory.  Brooks  and  Espinosa  were  pointing  out 
the  springs,  at  the  same  time  giving  nervous  glances  up 
to  the  surrounding  boulders,  as  if  they  dreaded  an  am 
buscade,  when  something  like  the  distant  braying  of  an 
ass  broke  upon  our  ears,  which  gradually  grew  louder  and 
more  distinct  until  finally  it  became  recognizable  as  the 
inimitable,  unearthly  screech  of  El  Erizo's  cart,  and  soon 
it  came  in  sight  up  over  the  crest  of  a  little  hill.  It  was 
driven  by  the  old  man,  and  bore  in  addition  a  passenger, 
no  less  a  personage  than  our  friend,  Mr.  Mulcahy,  who 
seemed  to  be  enjoying  himself  immensely  making  wonder 
ful  gyrations  with  his  legs,  keeping  time  to  the  bucking  of 
the  cart  and  twirling  over  his  head  a  blackthorn  stick  that 
he  told  me  was  a  gift  of  Capt.  Monaghan.  The  old  man 
wore  his  usual  armament,  and  his  sons  rode  on  either  side 
of  the  screeching  chariot,  carrying  their  rifles  across  their 
saddle  horns.  I  took  a  look  at  Brooks  and  Espinosa,  and 
the  legs  of  both  were  shaking  in  their  stirrups.  El 
Erizo  turned  his  cart  around  broadside  to  the  enemy  and 
halted.  Then  turning  to  his  traveling  companion,  said  in 
Spanish,  '  Meester  Malcuyo,  you  tell  those  two  highwaymen, 
este  Brookies  and  este  Espinosa,  to  get  off  my  land,  and  if 
they  do  not  vamos  muy  pronto,  that  I  will  drag  them  off. 
Este  diablito  Cigarmundo,  meaning  myself,  I  do  not  care 
anything  about,  if  he  wants  to  camp  out  here,  he  has  my 
permission;  and  say  to  that  cavallero  Englishman,  that  this 
is  my  land  and  that  the  thief  Brookies  does  not  own  an  acre 
and  has  no  right  to  claim  or  grab  an  acre  of  it/  and  he 


414  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

swept    his    arm    around    the    boundaries    of    the    tract    he 
claimed  as  his. 

Gintlemen,'  said  Mr.  Mulcahy,  '  I  have  been  requisted 
by  me  friend,  Don  Pedro,  or  as  his  neighbors  ginerally  call 
him  as  a  token  of  affection.,  the  porcupine,  to  act  as  inter- 
prethar  to  put  into  English  his  forcible  Spanish,  and  be- 
gorrah  if  it  was  the  ither  way  puttin  the  English  into  his 
haythenish  spache,  he  wud  have  to  hire  some  ither  scholar; 
for  its  me  ear  that  has  bin  ejicated  and  divil  a  thing  does 
me  tongue  know  about  it.  My  friend,  the  porcupine,  and 
I've  no  doubt  your  attintion  has  bin  called  to  the  fact  that 
his  quills  are  shticken  up,  wishes  me  to  politely  inform 
Misther  Brooks  and  Misther  Espinosa,  who  he,  no  doubt 
as  a  troifling  joke,  calls  hoighway  robbers,  to  pacefully  re- 
toire  to  some  safer  part  iv  the  ranch,  as  he  himself  has  nade 
of  the  ground  for  a  picnic;  and  if  the  gintlemen  are  too 
toired  to  roide  off,  that  he  wud  be  afther  taking  the  pleasure 
of  towing  thim  away  at  the  tail  of  his  cart.  And  he 
desired  me  also  to  say  to  the  gintleman  wid  the  fat  calves 
and  short  stirrups,  that  all  the  land  which  he  pointed  out 
wid  the  shwape  of  his  hand  belonged  to  him.  He  sames 
to  think  that  Mr.  Sigismund  doesn't  take  up  too  much  room 
and  moight  shtay  to  the  picnic  if  he  wanted  to,  and  camp 
in  a  squirrel  hole  and  play  wid  the  jack-rabbits.' 

"  After  receiving  this  ultimatum  from  the  porcupine,  Mr. 
Brooks  turned  to  our  friend  here,  Sir  Roger,  and,  in  a  low 
tone,  said,  '  I  think  we  had  better  humor  the  old  maniac  and 
go  off  and  leave  him  and  his  party.  He  is  a  crazy  old 
greaser  who  imagines  he  owns  the  whole  country/  So 
Brooks  and  Espinosa  headed  the  retreat,  Sir  Roger  and  I 
bringing  up  the  rear.  We  were  about  to  pass  the  cart, 
when  Mr.  Mulcahy  swinging  his  blackthorn  club  viciously, 
sprang  from  it,  saying: 

1 '  Hould  on,  ye're  not  goin  to  run  away,  are  yez,  Mr. 
Sigismund  ?  ' 

"  '  It  looks  like  it,  doesn't  it,  John  ? '  I  said,  pointing  to 
the  two  ahead  who  were  losing  no  time  getting  out  of  rifle 
range. 

1 '  Do  yez  mane  to  tell  me  there's  to  be  no  fun ;  that 
that  white  livered,  black  Irishman  is  goin  to  surrender  to  the 
porcupine  widout  a  foight?  An  do  yez  think  that  I  wud 


SIR  ROGER  WORSTS  JOHN  MULCAHY 

at  this  sayson  whin  iveryone  is  at  wurrek  day  and  noight 
to  get  his  crops,  have  left  me  plow  to  be  makin  spaches 
for  old  Erizo  whin  I  knew  yez  all  understud  him  as  well 
as  meself,  if  I  hadn't  bin  shure  there  was  to  be  a  foine 
foight?  Do  yez  think  I'd  a  brought  me  shtick  wid  me 
to  a  shape- fold  ?  ' 

"  Hereupon  our  friend  Sir  Roger  took  pity  upon  the 
disappointed  son  of  Erin  and  said: 

"  '  Mr.  Mulcahy,  my  head  is  not  accustomed  to  the  tusks 
that  project  from  that  weapon  you  carry,  but  if  you  will 
come  with  me  to  that  copse  nearby  and  cut  a  couple  of 
Christian  oak  sticks,  I'll  afford  you  a  little  amusement  in 
the  way  of  a  bout,  and  keep  you  from  returning  to  your 
agricultural  pursuits  with  chagrin  in  your  heart.' 

"'By  me  sowl,  you're  one  afther  me  own  heart;  I'm 
wid  yez.' 

"  It  did  not  take  long  for  the  champions  to  provide 
themselves  with  a  brace  of  tough  single-sticks,  satisfactory 
in  weight  and  poise,  with  which  they  returned  to  the  neigh 
borhood  of  the  cart,  where  there  was  a  beautiful  level  flat, 
just  the  thing  for  the  game  on  hand.  At  the  request  of 
both  I  acted  as  second  and  umpire,  while  El  Erizo  and 
his  bodyguard  stood,  wondering  what  was  to  take  place, 
and  Brooks  and  Espinosa,  who  had  halted  on  a  little  em 
inence,  were  looking  back  to  see  why  they  were  not  followed 
by  their  fellow  travelers. 

"  '  I  suppose,  Mr.  Mulcahy,  you  have  not  been  trained  to 
the  use  of  the  true  British  single-stick  and  expect  to  break 
my  head  with  the  manipulation  of  both  ends  of  the  shillalah. 
Well,  my  mother  was  a  Dublin  girl,  and  I  have  played 
a  little  with  the  rollicking  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  so 
I'll  take  my  chances  with  you.'  % 

"  The  doughty  knights  took  their  positions,  Mr.  Mulcahy 
trembling  all  over  with  eagerness,  and  an  expression  of 
serene  enjoyment  on  Sir  Roger's  countenance,  and  I  gave 
the  command  to  set  to,  and  the  sticks  commenced  whirling 
around  like  the  spokes  in  a  race  sulky,  and  from  the 
clatter  you  would  have  thought  you  heard  Billy  Birch 
rendering  a  solo  on  the  bones.  Mr.  Mulcahy  seemed  to  be 
dancing  an  Irish  jig  with  his  hands  and  his  feet,  while  Sir 
Roger's  body,  you  would  have  thought,  was  strung  with 


416  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

gutta-percha.  It  was  the  finest  sport  I've  seen  for  many 
a  day  and  made  me  long  for  a  sabre  and  a  worthy  foe.  Sir 
Roger  appeared  to  direct  his  attack  to  the  sides  and  elbows 
of  his  opponent,  and  made  him  dance  all  the  more  merrily 
by  a  whack  or  two  on  the  crazy-bone  and  a  tickler  about 
the  ribs,  while  Mr.  Mulcahy  seemed  desirious  of  cracking 
the  crown  of  his  adversary,  and  presently  succeeded  in 
sending  his  Indian  helmet  careening  across  the  field,  but 
making  no  apparent  impression  upon  the  head  underneath 
it.  It  had,  however,  the  effect  of  changing  our  English 
friend's  point  of  attack  from  the  body  to  the  head,  and  in  a 
moment,  in  the  midst  of  a  fierce  rattle  of  musketry,  he 
gave  the  son  of  Erin  a  gentle  rap  under  the  chin  with  one 
end  of  his  shillalah,  coming  down  on  his  uplifted  brow  with 
the  other  in  a  clap  that  sounded  like  Hans'  mallet  on  a  beer 
plug,  and  landing  the  recipient  on  mother  earth  on  the  flat 
of  his  back,  where  he  reposed  motionless  for  a  minute  or 
two.  The  sight  of  his  prostrate  friend  was  too  much  for 
El  Erizo,  and  he  poised  his  ox-goad  like  a  loyal  lancer 
and  darted  at  the  victor,  with  the  evident  intention  of 
impaling  him,  and  Sir  Roger  would  have  had  another  dan 
gerous  foe  to  contend  with  if  I  had  not  arrested  the  enemy 
by  the  seat  of  his  voluminous  breeches  as  he  went  by,  and 
explained  to  him  that  the  warriors  were  the  best  of  friends 
and  that  it  was  all  a  little  game  of  bolas. 

"  In  the  meanwhile  Mr.  Mulcahy  commenced  to  rub  his 
eyes  and  then  his  head  and  raised  himself  to  a  sitting  posture, 
and  the  first  object  that  met  his  returning  vision  was  the 
flask  of  Sir  Roger  which  that  gentleman  was  gallantly 
tendering  him.  He  took  it  with  a  natural  instinct  and 
sent  half  its  contents  down  his  throat,  that  part  of  his 
anatomy  appearing  not  to  have  been  paralyzed  in  his  col 
lapse,  smacked  his  lips,  returned  it  to  the  giver  and  climbed 
to  his  feet.  When  firm  on  his  pins  he  took  a  long  ad 
miring  look  at  his  adversary,  then  grasped  his  hand  as 
he  said: 

"  '  I  thank  you  sor,  for  giving  me  the  foinest  troifle  o 
fun  I've  had  since  I  left  the  auld  counthry.  You're  a 
gintleman,  an  I  wish  there  was  more  like  yez  in  this  hay- 
thenish  land  where  nobody  iver  foights  excipt  whin  he 
gets  mad.  I  hope  it  will  not  be  the  last  toime  that  we 


SIR  ROGER  WORSTS  JOHN  MULCAHY       417 

mate  in  a  friendly  game.  If  yez  wud  only  buy  this  ranch 
from  that  grinning  black  Irishman,  and  spind  some  part  of 
the  sayson  here,  I  wud  be  the  happiest  gossoon  iver  exiled 
from  the  green  sod.' 

"  Here  Mr.  Mulcahy  put  up  his  hand  to  right  his  hat 
and  then  looked  ruefully  down  on  the  ground  where  were 
scattered  around  the  fragments  of  his  clay  pipe,  and  said 
mournfully : 

' '  I  only  wish,  sor,  you  had  shtruck  a  troifle  to  the  roight 
and  saved  me  poipe  from  bein  smashed  to  smithereens; 
its  little  comfort  I'll  have  on  me  way  home  widout  it.' 

1 '  Permit  me,  my  dear  friend/  said  Sir  Roger,  '  to  pre 
sent  to  you,  as  a  token  of  my  appreciation  and  the  great 
enjoyment  you  have  afforded  me,  a  briar,  mellow  with 
age  and  excellent  tobacco,  that  has  been  my  solace,  it  and 
a  companion  which  I  retain,  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
with  it  a  packet  of  a  brand  of  the  weed  I  know  you  will 
not  find  fault  with/ 

"  Mr.  Mulcahy  was  overcome  with  this  generous  act,  and 
again  shook  his  recent  opponent  lustily  by  the  hand  and 
said  good-by  with  tears  in  his  eyes.  Sir  Roger,  before 
riding  off,  dived  down  again  into  his  well  stocked  pocket 
and  produced  some  packets  of  cigarittos  which  he  presented 
courteously  to  El  Erizo  and  his  sons,  thus  appeasing  what 
impulse  of  wrath  there  might  have  been  in  them.  And 
so  ended  the  drama  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Extension." 

"  I  find,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Sir  Roger,  "  that  our  friend 
Mr.  Sigismund  is  of  varied  accomplishments;  he  is  an  en 
tertaining  raconteur,  as  well  as  a  skillful  engineer,  a  diplo 
mat  and  a  chivalric  gentleman.  Let  us  drink  his  health." 

After  setting  down  his  mug,  he  continued : 

"  The  episode  just  related  so  graphically  by  our  friend 
was  certainly  very  amusing;  but  it  appears  to  me  that  Mr. 
Brooks  or  his  company  has  anything  but  assured  dominion 
over  the  estate  they  claim  to  own.  Do  you  know,  Mr. 
Thomas,  if  the  irascible  old  gent  with  the  ox-cart  has  any 
ground  for  his  claim  to  the  tract  he  pointed  out  ?  " 

"  I  fear  he  has,  Sir  Roger,"  replied  Herman.  "  He  has 
always  pastured  and  watered  his  stock  on  it,  and  El  Roblar 
Viejo  Company  will  be  obliged  to  bring  suit  in  ejectment 
to  dispossess  him,  and  from  information  I  have  gathered 


418  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  my  construction  of  remedial  rights,  El  Erizo's  right  to 
possession  will  be  sustained  by  the  courts.  You  must,  how 
ever,  take  into  consideration,  in  weighing  my  opinion,  that 
I  have  been  retained  by  the  old  man  to  represent  him  in 
the  event  of  a  contest.  There  are  other  questions  in  ref 
erence  to  respective  rights  of  ownership  of  this  property 
which  will  probably  be  displayed  in  not  a  great  while  that 
will  require  adjustment  before  the  extent  of  the  company's 
dominion  will  be  fixed;  and  I  feel  that  I  should,  in  fair 
ness,  though  my  clients  would  probably  be  benefited  by  the 
substitution  of  a  cleaner  set  in  the  place  of  Brooks  and 
his  associates,  caution  you  not  to  go  far  in  your  negotiations 
for  the  purchase  of  the  property  from  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Company,  until  you  know  positively  how  much  you  will  be 
getting  good  title  to." 

"  Have  no  fear  about  that/'  said  Sir  Roger,  "  to-morrow 
morning  I  will  name  to  Brooks  the  price  I  will  give  for  the 
property,  conditional  upon  his  having  acquired  all  adverse 
interests  and  settled  all  claims  and  charges  upon  it  within 
six  months.  Should  these  adverse  claims  not  be  compromised 
and  you  should  be  successful,  Mr.  Thomas,  in  your  contests, 
I  would  be  glad  to  hear  from  you,  and  it  may  be  practicable 
to  deal  with  you  independently.  I  would  be  under  obliga 
tions  to  you  in  any  event  if  you  would  keep  me  advised  of 
what  goes  on  concerning  the  estate.  I  will  do  nothing  at 
present  touching  Dr.  Vanderpool's  tract,  but  may  write 
to  you  concerning  it.  Here  is  my  card  with  my  address. 
And  now,  gentlemen,  if  you  will  join  me  in  a  night-cap, 
I  will  slip  off  alone,  and  relieve  the  anxiety  of  Mr.  Brooks 
as  to  what  has  become  of  me." 

After  Sir  Roger  had  taken  his  departure,  Herman  told 
Sigismund  that  he  could  report  to  Brooks  that  Don  An 
tonio  would  accept  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  his  interest 
and  not  a  cent  less,  and  that  he,  Herman,  advised  him  to 
stand  for  that  figure.  Having  given  Sir  Roger  a  start 
of  some  minutes,  the  two  sauntered  down  to  the  St.  Louis. 
Espinosa  was  seated  outside  smoking  a  cigar  in  seclusion, 
when  Sigismund  joined  him  and  invited  him  to  take  a  stroll, 
where  he  outlined  for  him  a  plan  of  action  to  profit  by 
the  preplexities  of  his  employer. 


CHAPTER  XLV 

MR.   BUTTS   AND    HIS    ROUGH-HEWN    PHILOSOPHY 

IT  had  been  the  intention  of  Herman  not  to  issue  summons 
in  the  suit  of  Antonio  Castafios  against  El  Roblar  Viejo 
Company  and  Brooks,  but  to  let  it  lie  dormant  until  Howells 
had  given  the  word  and  he  was  prepared  to  strike  in  his 
effort  to  recover  for  Mrs.  Valenzuela  the  Jose  Castafios 
interest.  But  Sigismund  advised  him  to  proceed  at  once 
with  Antonio's  case,  stating  that  he  hoped  if  this  were  done 
to  be  able  to  control  Espinosa  to  Herman's  advantage  when 
it  came  to  the  trial;  and  so  he  concluded  to  take  his  advice 
and  had  the  defendants  served  with  process  the  morning 
after  the  party  returned  from  the  rancho.  Brooks  on  the 
same  day  brought  an  action  of  ejectment  against  El  Erizo 
for  possession  of  the  disputed  tract.  Donaldson  and  Bil- 
lington  also  contributed  to  the  disagreeables  of  this  gentle 
man  by  filing  on  behalf  of  General  Peters  an  action  for 
moneys  due  for  services  in  the  procurement  of  the  con 
veyance  of  the  Antonio  interest.  This  latter  suit  was  a 
surprise  to  Brooks  and  annoyed  him  no  little,  coming  as 
it  did  when  the  transfer  was  attacked  on  the  ground  of 
fraud.  He  cursed  himself  for  letting  his  spitefulness  and 
wish  to  be  rid  of  the  two  leeches,  Pedro  and  Peters,  get 
the  best  of  his  usual  prudence;  he  had  turned  into  enemies 
those  who  would  have  been  useful  allies  and  important 
witnesses  in  his  favor.  It  made  him  doubly  uneasy  about 
the  sulkiness  of  Espinosa  and  he  realized  that  he  might  be 
left  without  a  witness  other  than  himself  to  uphold  the  bona 
fides  of  the  transaction.  He  saw  that  the  only  thing  to  do 
was  to  try  to  conciliate  these  parties  with  liberal  promises, 
if  possible,  and  with  substantial  gifts  if  absolutely  necessary. 
He  could  not  hope  to  capture  Pedro  and  Peters  without  the 
aid  of  Espinosa  and  consequently  the  first  thing  to  do  was 
to  bribe  him  out  of  his  surliness  and  gain  his  veritable  co- 

419 


420          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

operation.  He  called  him  into  consultation  in  preparing 
his  answer  to  the  complaint  of  Antonio  and  asked  him  if  he 
remembered  such  and  such  alleged  facts  and  this  and  that 
declaration  and  conversation.  Espinosa's  memory  was  very 
hazy  and  he  remarked  that  the  transaction  was  stale  and 
he  had  not  kept  his  recollection  about  it  fresh.  Brooks 
then  asked  him  if  he  could  not  refresh  his  memory;  that  it 
was  certainly  to  his  interest  to  do  so,,  as  a  stockholder  in 
the  company,  and  that  he  had  been  thinking  of  increasing  his 
stockholding.  Espinosa  sneered  and  said: 

"  This  habit  of  yours  talking  to  me  as  if  I  were  a  simple 
ton  is  growing  more  than  monotonous  to  me,  it  has  become 
unbearably  insulting,  and  I  will  tell  you  now  that  it  is 
better  for  you  to  drop  it.  You  pretend  to  be  unexcelled 
in  fathoming  men's  minds  and  in  shrewdness  in  dealing 
with  them  to  your  advantage,  and  if  so  you  must  know  that 
I  understand  the  position  I  am  in  as  a  stockholder  in  El 
Roblar  Viejo  Company.  You  can  freeze  me  out  to-morrow 
and  what  is  more,  you  are  planning  in  your  own  heart  to 
do  it.  The  only  thing  of  value  I  have  from  you  and  your 
company  is  the  paltry  salary  I  receive  which  you  can  stop 
paying  at  any  time  you  think  you  can  without  danger  drop 
me,  as  you  did  Pedro  and  Antonio.  Your  vaunted  shrewd 
ness,  by  the  way,  was  not  in  evidence  when  you  drove  them 
off  before  you  were  out  of  the  woods.  No,  Mr.  Brooks, 
we  both  know  that  the  benefit  I  would  receive  as  stock 
holder  in  your  company  would  not  j  ustif y  the  trouble  of  re 
freshing  my  memory." 

Brooks'  blandest  smile  swept  over  his  face,  and  for  a 
moment  he  looked  steadily  at  his  rebellious  retainer  with  a 
snake-like  glitter  in  his  eyes  that  would  have  cowed  him 
into  servile  obedience  some  little  time  back,  but  which  was 
met  now  with  dogged  indifference,  and  then  spoke  slowly 
and  softly: 

"  Espinosa,  I  think  that  you  forget  that  the  knowledge 
and  power  rest  with  me  to  disgrace  you,  as  well  as  to  ruin 
you/' 

"  Oh,  so  far  as  that  is  concerned,"  he  replied,  "  my  mem 
ory  needs  no  refreshing.  I  am  fully  cognizant  of  what  you 
might  possibly  do  in  this  way,  if  you  wanted  to.  But  you 
do  not  want  to;  for  well  you  are  aware  that  the  first 


MR.  BUTTS'  PHILOSOPHY  421 

motion  you  made  in  this  direction,  I  would  tell  what  I 
know  and  exercise  the  power  I  possess,  and  our  lives  would 
continue  to  run  in  the  same  channel  in  neighboring  cells. 
I  defy  you  to  attempt  to  disgrace  me." 

After  silence  of  a  few  moments,  Brooks  said: 

"  Well,  there  is  no  sense  in  our  squabbling;  what  do  you 
exact? " 

"  If  you  like  the  word,  well  and  good,"  he  answered. 
"  I  exact  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars  cash  before  I 
become  the  witness  that  will  save  you  from  defeat  in 
what  you  know  to  be  dangerous  litigation  affecting  you  and 
the  company." 

"  Why,  you  are  crazy,"  exclaimed  Brooks.  "  Do  you 
imagine  that  I  will  permit  myself  to  be  held  up  for  that 
amount  of  blackmail  ?  " 

"  You  owe  me  a  much  larger  sum  than  that  for  my 
services,  and  if  I  sought  to  approach  blackmail,  I  would 
make  my  demand  ten  times  the  amount.  You  can  take  your 
choice,  pay  me  that  sum  or  swear  your  own  cases  through 
yourself,  for  I  will  not  take  a  single  cent  less." 

"  You,  if  anyone,  know  what  ability  I  have  to  command 
cash  and  must  be  aware  that  it  will  be  very  difficult  for  me 
to  get  together  that  sum." 

"  I  do  not  pretend  to  know  what  your  bank  account  is ; 
you  have  your  confidential  clerk  now,  employed  to  conceal 
from  me  your  affairs,  or  rather  so  much  of  them  as  any 
outsider  is  allowed  by  you  to  get  a  glimpse  of,  and  this  is 
little  enough.  This  much  however  I  do  know.  You  were 
paid  the  amount  you  advanced  to  Antonio  on  his  stock  and 
you  have  valuable  property  on  the  faith  of  which  you  can 
raise  any  moment  you  wish  many  times  that  amount." 

"  And  so  you  are  piqued  at  my  employing  a  trained  clerk 
and  accountant,  and  this  though  it  relieved  you  of  all 
drudgery." 

"  You  will,  I  see,"  replied  Espinosa,  "  keep  up  the  farce 
of  treating  me  as  a  child,  as  if  I  had  been  deaf  and  blind 
or  imbecile  in  your  service,  and  failed  to  learn  your  motives. 
No,  I  am  not  piqued;  I  am  sincerely  thankful  to  you  for 
this  partitioning  of  our  association  and  erecting  a  fence 
between  us.  It  has  made  me  independent,  and  I  hold  a 
safer  position,  dealing  with  you  at  arms'  length;  you  see 


422  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

that  as  long  as  we  whispered  to  each  other  confidences,  we 
were  fellow  plotters;  no  matter  how  well  I  knew  your 
character,  which,  pardon  me,  a  great  many  people  pro 
nounce  treacherous,  it  would  have  been  very  difficult  for 
me  to  cut  loose  from  our  comradeship  and  assert  my  rights, 
and  protect  myself  against  your  repudiation  of  them. 
Your  new  clerk  was  a  Godsend  to  me.  But  there  is  no 
use  discussing  the  matter.  I  will  bid  you  good  morning. 
You  will  not  need  my  assistance  in  preparing  the  allega 
tions  of  your  answer,  it  is  when  you  come  to  prove  them 
that  you  may  find  my  services  invaluable,  and  they  can 
be  procured  for  five  thousand  dollars,"  and  he  walked  off. 
When  he  reached  the  street  he  shivered  and  his  insolent 
assurance  assumed  for  the  ordeal  vanished. 

"  I  have  defied  the  serpent,"  he  muttered,  "  and  there 
will  be  no  rest  for  me,  dodging  his  venomous  fangs." 

Brooks  went  on  calmly  preparing  his  pleadings  which 
displayed  technical  skill  and  adroitness  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  law  affecting  fraudulent  conveyances. 
He  laid  down  his  pen  for  a  moment  in  the  midst  of  his 
work,  and  pondered. 

"  I  wonder,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  if  that  fellow  Thomas 
has  had  the  brains  to  plan  the  treachery  of  Espinosa  and 
the  attack  of  Peters.  I  hardly  think  so.  But  I  am  told 
that  he  himself  was  the  principal  means  of  landing  Buckley, 
and  showed  that  he  keeps  a  close  mouth  and  his  eyes  open. 
And  besides  he  may  have  help.  I  understand  he  is  intimate 
with  that  snake  Howells." 

He  finished  his  pleadings  and  took  them  himself  to  the 
Court  House.  As  he  went  to  the  clerk's  office  at  the  end  of 
the  corridor,  he  walked  slowly  in  front  of  the  jail.  Buckley 
stood  looking  out  one  of  the  barred  windows.  Brooks  gave 
him  a  meaning  look  and  then  glanced  at  the  prison  door. 
Having  finished  his  business  in  the  clerk's  office  and  return 
ing  he  was  met  by  the  Sheriff  on  the  corridor  who  said  that 
Buckley  wished  to  consult  him  professionally,  if  he  would 
go  into  the  jail.  Brooks  hesitated,  remarking  that  he 
did  not  know  what  good  he  could  do  him,  and  then  saying: 

"  Well,  I  might  as  well  go  in  and  see  what  he  wants." 

Buckley  beckoned  him  to  a  remote  corner  of  the  room  and 
the  two  remained  in  conversation  for  a  much  longer  time 


MR.  BUTTS'  PHILOSOPHY  423 

than  the  Sheriff  supposed  it  would  have  taken  for  Brooks 
to  find  out  what  the  prisoner  wanted.  As  they  finally  sep 
arated,  Buckley  said  in  a  whisper  through  his  clenched 
teeth: 

"  Now  don't  you  forget ;  I  know  him  and  his  infernal 
luck;  he'll  beat  your  best  trump,  and  he'll  trail  you  till  he 
lands  you  where  I  am.  But  if  you  get  me  out  of  this  hole 
or  show  me  how  I  can  get  out  myself,  he'll  never  try  the 
case  against  you  and  he'll  never  again  cross  your  path;  and 
this  won't  happen  alone  for  the  sake  of  doing  you  a  favor." 

Brooks  gave  him  a  significant  look  and  left  him.  As  he 
passed  through  the  Sheriff's  office,  he  said: 

"  Poor  fellow,  he's  in  a  pretty  tight  place ;  but  from  what 
he  tells  me,  Hill  is  doing  everything  necessary,  and  I 
couldn't,  especially  at  long  range,  make  his  defense 
stronger/' 

While  Brooks  was  thus  engaged,  Espinosa  had  hunted  up 
Sigismund  and  reported  his  interview. 

"  Bravo,  bravo,  my  dear  Manuel/'  he  exclaimed,  rubbing 
his  hands ;  "  you  have  thrown  down  the  gauntlet,  and  he 
has  not  dared  to  take  it  up.  You  have  him  at  your  mercy, 
unless  you  weaken,  and  if  you  do,  little  Sigismund  who  never 
quailed  before  a  giant  or  a  griffin,  will  brand  you  as  a 
coward  and  weakling.  I  do  not  wonder  that  you  dread  his 
treachery  and  superlative  cunning;  but  with  the  two  of  us 
to  fence  with  he  will  never  give  you  a  vital  thrust.  Cheer 
up  and  never  let  him  catch  a  quiver  of  the  lip  or  a  faltering 
look,  and  that  five  thousand  dollars  will  be  in  your  pocket 
long  before  the  trial.  You  will  receive  a  letter  from  San 
Francisco  that  it  would  do  no  harm  to  show  him." 

When  Espinosa  had  left,  Sigismund  sat  down  and  dropped 
a  line  to  Howells.  As  he  enclosed  the  note  in  a  stamped 
envelope  of  Wells-Fargo,  in  those  days  on  the  coast,  a 
surer  and  safer  mail  carrier  than  Uncle  Sam,  he  said  to 
himself: 

"  If  we  three  detectives,  Howells,  Thomas  and  myself 
cannot  out-general  a  scoundrelly  lawyer,  even  if  he  has  the 
devil  to  back  him,  we  had  better  apply  for  an  Indian  agency 
or  join  the  National  Guard." 

Returning  from  posting  his  letter  he  met  Herman  and 
Bebeleche  walking  together.  The  former  seemed  worried 


ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  downcast,  and  the  face  of  the  latter  did  not  bear  its 
accustomed  jollity. 

"  Why,  what  in  the  world  is  the  matter  with  you  two 
hale  fellows  ?  Have  you  come  from  the  funeral  of  a  friend, 
or  a  dinner  at  the  American  Hotel,  that  your  faces  are  so 
long?" 

"  We  are  not  a  very  happy  pair  just  now,  Senor  Sigis- 
mund,"  answered  Bebeleche.  "  I  have  been  the  innocent 
means  of  our  friend,  Senor  Thomas,  making  a  very  bad 
speculation.  I  thought  I  would  make  of  him  a  wealthy 
cattle  owner,  instead  of  which  I  have  gotten  him  into  a 
game  where  he  has  lost  heavily  for  a  man  of  small  capital." 

"  Well,  Thomas,  mon  ami,  you  have  been  taught  the 
lesson,  that  a  cobbler  should  stick  to  his  last.  Heaven 
knows,  if  you  will  profit  by  it.  Many  of  us  never  learn, 
but  chase  each  rainbow  that  arises  from  the  horizon,"  and 
a  shade  of  melancholy  for  a  moment  rested  on  his  own 
countenance,  but  vanished  as  quickly  as  it  came,  when  he 
said,  gayly: 

"  But  we  are  young,  mon  cTier,  and  have  a  brave  heart  and 
buoyant  spirit,  n'est-ce-pas?  And  a  little  loss  will  soon 
be  forgotten  in  greater  schemes.  Failures,  like  cobbles, 
waifs  of  the  ocean,  are  a  fine  foundation  for  noble  structures. 
So  cheer  up,  my  boy;  do  not  fasten  a  ball  and  chain  to 
your  spirit  by  brooding  over  what  is  beyond  resurrection. 
Come  into  old  Butts'  and  join  me  in  a  punch  that  no  one 
brews  better  than  this  rough-hewn  genius  and  pick  up 
some  of  his  nuggets  of  wisdom,  and  the  sky  will  soon 
clear  for  you." 

The  invitation  was  accepted  and  the  trio  entered  a  little 
bar  recently  established  and  run  by  an  honest  and  big- 
hearted  ex-instructor  of  the  manly  art  of  self-defense  in 
a  newly  constructed,  cheap,  two-story  building,  the  upper 
floor  of  which  was  devoted  to  the  purposes  of  a  public-hall 
and  lecture  room,  the  stairway  running  up  alongside  the 
entrance  to  the  bar.  Mr.  Butts  was  a  chunky  man  with  a 
face  like  the  globe  of  a  once  white-washed  weather-welted 
gate  post  and  shoulders  that  received  the  commendation  of 
as  critical  a  connoisseur  as  Mr.  ap  Williams  and  a  voice 
that  had  as  great  volume  with  less  brass  than  that  of  Mr. 
Roncador. 


MR.  BUTTS'  PHILOSOPHY  425 

When  they  entered  they  found  Mr.  Butts  alone,  seated  on 
the  top  of  a  short  step-ladder  reading  the  sporting  columns 
of  the  New  York  Herald.  In  an  instant  he  descended  from 
his  elevated  seat  with  an  agility  hardly  expected  from  his 
proportions. 

"  Well,  old  man,"  said  Sigismund,  "  you  find  here  three 
men  who  need  cheering  up;  so  brew  us  each  a  tumbler  of 
your  most  inspiring  whiskey  punch.  Can  you  mix  them 
so  that  in  the  joy  they  give  they  leave  no  head-ache  or 
heart-ache  behind?" 

"  There  ain't  no  trick  in  doing  that,  if  you  let  me  hold 
the  stop-watch  on  the  number  you  takes.  Punch  is  like 
pills,  they  gripes  you  when  you  take  an  overdose." 

Herman  at  once  brightened  up  and  entered  into  the  sport 
of  drawing  out  the  quaint  ideas  of  this  crude  observer. 

"  You  have  had  a  great  deal  of  experience,  Mr.  Butts, 
with  drink  and  drinkers,"  he  said ;  "  it  is  true  that  there  is 
a  germ  of  crime  in  every  glass  of  spirits  a  man  throws 
into  him? 

"  That's  darned  nonsense.  There  aint  no  germs  of  crime 
in  good  liquor;  there's  madness  in  bad.  The  spawn  is  in 
the  man  himself.  If  it's  there,  good  whiskey  may  warm  it 
into  life  as  the  sun  does  a  rattle-snake.  I  don't  say  that 
good  liquor  don't  do  no  harm  when  people  guzzle  it,  or 
get  up  the  steam  with  it  to  do  worse  things;  but  a  man's  an 
idiot  if  he  don't  know  that  when  he  stirs  his  cocktails 
with  the  devil's  tail  he'll  some  day  be  scorched  with  his 
breath." 

"  In  what  school  did  you  acquire  your  philosophy  ?  "  con 
tinued  Herman. 

"  School !  mighty  little  schooling  I've  had.  Philosophy ! 
I  aint  got  no  philosophy.  Common  sense  beats  philosophy 
all  to  thunder.  Fellows  that  travel  on  their  philosophy 
never  go  at  anything  straight.  If  they  want  to  know  the 
size  of  a  hog's  head,  they  measure  the  length  of  his  tail." 

"  If  you  don't  believe  in  philosophy,  old  man/'  said  Sigis- 
mund,  watching  Mr.  Butts'  dexterity  in  fabricating  the 
tempting  beverages,  "  you  certainly  go  something  on 
science." 

"  That  depends  on  what  you  call  science,"  returned  the 
rough-hewn  sage ;  "  if  you  mean  making  air  and  water  and 


426  ROMANCE  ON  EL  C  AMI  NO  REAL 

fire  and  electricity  do  all  kinds  of  work  for  us,  of  course 
I  believes  in  science.  If  you  mean  looking  at  slimy  things 
out  of  the  ocean  through  a  microscope  and  figuring  out  that 
we  had  a  jelly  fish  for  a  great  grand-mother  and  a  monkey 
for  a  grand-father,  then  I  tell  you  right  here,  it's  darned 
bosh  and  I  don't  want  none  of  it." 

Bebeleche,  when  the  last  delicate  touches  had  been  given 
the  potions,  suggested  that  the  three  take  their  tumblers 
into  the  little  cardroom  off  the  bar,  where  innocent  games 
were  played  for  the  drinks,  and  have  a  chat.  The  principle 
topic  of  conversation  was  Herman's  bad  luck,  as  Bebeleche 
called  it,  but  the  victim  felt  within  himself  that  want  of 
foresight  and  the  disregard  of  the  cautioning  of  his  friends, 
as  well  as  unskillful  management  had  more  to  do  with  it  than 
luck. 

"  I  am  out  of  the  cattle  business  myself  now,"  said  Bebe 
leche,  "  or  I  would  take  your  stock  off  your  hands.  I  have, 
however,  found  a  party  that  will  give  you  a  fair  price  for 
all  of  it,  and  I  earnestly  advise  you  to  be  rid  of  it, 
though  it  means  to  you  a  considerable  loss,  rather  than  to 
get  deeper  in  the  mire." 

Sigismund  backed  up  the  Basque  in  this  counsel,  and 
Herman  realized  that  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  accept 
the  offer.  So  it  was  arranged  that  immediately  after  a 
rodeo  which  was  to  be  given  in  a  few  days  on  the  La  Jota 
rancho,  he  should  have  one  on  his  adjoining  range,  and  get 
up  the  cattle  for  delivery.  Having  finished  their  tumblers 
and  their  talk,  they  started  out,  Mr.  Butts  following  them  to 
the  door,  standing  at  the  foot  of  the  stairway  to  the  public 
hall,  up  which  his  voice  rumbled  and  roared  like  peals  of 
thunder. 

"  I  don't  see  any  loafers  of  the  Buckley  stripe  around 
your  retreat,  Mr.  Butts,"  remarked  Sigismund. 

"  Buckley !  And  do  you  think  I  would  let  any  of  the 
thieving,  murdering  gang  that  he  belongs  to  put  his  nose 
inside  my  door?  You  bet  not.  This  is  a  decent  house 
where  no  man  is  drugged  and  nobody  rolled.  You  might 
call  me  a  sport,  and  I  am  a  thoroughbred  and  I  like  thorough 
breds  and  I  have  been  brought  up  among  'em;  but  none 
of  your  professional  gamblers  for  me.  What  I  wants 
around  me  is  men,  not  snakes." 


MR.  BUTTS'  PHILOSOPHY  427 

Here  Herman  tried  to  make  the  aroused  thoroughbred 
lower  his  voice  a  little,  telling  him  that  there  was  a  lecture 
going  on  aloft. 

"A  lecture?     Whose  lecturing?" 

"  Professor  Thornton." 

"  Professor  of  what?  " 

"  Professor   of   eloquence/'   said   Herman. 

"  There  aint  no  such  thing.  Nobody  can  teach  eloquence. 
Eloquence  busts  spontaneous  from  the  soul/'  and  the  dis 
gusted  sage  turned  on  his  heel  and  went  back  to  his  step- 
ladder  and  his  Herald. 


CHAPTER  XLVI 
HERMAN'S  GRAY  SUNDAY 


THE  following  morning,  which  was  Sunday,  when  Herman 
awoke,  it  was  to  the  same  feeling  of  depression  that  pos 
sessed  him  the  day  before;  though  it  was  softened  into  a 
sadness  that  was  not  morbid  or  galling,  but  cast  its  shadow 
on  his  spirit  as  the  overhanging  spring  fog  hid  the  bright 
beams  of  the  sun  from  the  landscape  and  turned  its  joy- 
ousness  to  melancholy.  He  was  an  early  riser  on  Sundays 
as  high  mass  was  early  at  the  Mission,  which  he  loved  to 
attend,  though  it  was  then  nothing  to  him  but  the  solace 
that  sacred  surroundings  and  solemn  services  bring,  and 
was  but  a  harmonious  accompaniment  to  his  thoughts  what 
ever  their  tone.  He  breakfasted  alone. 

On  this  gray  Sunday,  Herman's  thoughts  were  very  busy 
with  himself.  He  took  an  inventory  of  his  stock  of  exact 
knowledge,  and  was  appalled  at  how  small  it  was.  He  re 
viewed  the  inventions  of  his  fancy,  his  aspirations,  his 
schemes  for  success  and  renown,  and  found  that  they  rarely 
took  shape  in  practical  realization.  He  summed  up  his 
accomplishments  in  his  professional  and  business  life  and 
was  depressed  at  how  tame  they  were,  while  debited  against 
them  were  magnificent  failures,  among  them  the  cattle 
venture,  to  wind  up  which  he  was  to  go  down  to  the  rodeo 
the  next  day.  He  could  not  help  pitying  himself. 

"  It  is  hard,"  he  soliloquized,  "  so  very  hard  that  I  want 
to  do  and  plan  to  do  so  much  and  that  it  all  should  end  in 
vain  dreams  or  abortive  deeds.  I  wonder  if  I  will  ever 
gratify  a  great  ambition  or  be  equal  to  practical  accomplish 
ment.  I  seem  to  hang  between  earth  and  heaven,  not  having 
the  genius  or  talent  to  soar  to  the  lofty  heights,  and  not 
being  sufficiently  a  creature  of  the  world  to  achieve  the 
common  success  that  every  day  attends  the  efforts  of  those 
of  little  intellect  and  no  aspirations  or  ideals." 


HERMAN'S  GRAY  SUNDAY       429 

He  was  still  absorbed  in  revery  when  he  climbed  the 
well-worn  stone  steps  of  the  Mission  and  crossed  over  the 
equally  worn  red  square  tiles,  passing  through  a  bevy  of 
frolicsome  boys  whose  half  respectful,  half  jocular  saluta 
tion  he  was  hardly  conscious  of  and  entered  the  church. 
Generally  observant  of  anything  quaint  or  eccentric  or 
associated  with  the  past,  as  he  walked  up  the  aisle  he  paid 
no  attention  to  the  statue-like  figures:  women  in  dull-hued 
black  gowns  and  Spanish  mantles  hooding  their  heads  and 
falling  over  their  persons,  and  young  women  with  hats 
trimmed  in  ribbons  of  red  and  black  and  yellow,  and  dresses 
of  velvet  and  satin,  with  sashes  and  lace-trimmed  scarfs; 
and  grotesquely  clad  grizzled  Indians  and  natives  in  Sun 
day  attire  with  gayly  colored  neckerchiefs,  kneeling  before 
shrines  and  standing  about  the  portal;  nor  the  old  Spanish 
paintings  on  the  walls,  some  excellent  copies  of  old  masters 
and  a  startling  one  of  the  inmates  of  purgatory.  As  he 
finally  stopped  at  one  of  the  benches  near  the  sanctuary 
rail,  a  lady  moved  to  give  him  place,  and  looking  up 
he  awoke  and  recognized  Martha.  He  sat  down  by  her 
side,  and  her  presence  seemed  a  part  of  the  sacredness  and 
peacefulness  of  the  surroundings  that  invoked  rest  and  com 
fort.  Father  Aloysius  preached  upon  the  text,  "  And 
other  sheep  I  have,  that  are  not  of  this  fold;  them  also  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall 
be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd."  There  was  a  deep  feeling 
in  the  young  priest's  voice  and  a  spirituality  in  his  face 
that  impressed  his  words  with  the  character  of  inspiration. 
The  sermon  was  touching  in  its  simplicity  and  earnest 
pleading.  He  spoke  of  the  divine  Shepherd's  gentle,  loving 
care  on  earth  for  his  sheep,  those  that  were  in  the  fold, 
and  his  blessed  promises  to  those  that  yet  were  to  be 
gathered  within  it  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  through 
coming  ages.  He  told  of  the  healing,  and  feeding  of 
wounded  and  starving  hearts  as  well  as  bodies;  of  the 
counsels  given  that  brought  strength  and  courage  to  bear 
life's  burdens  and  the  beatitudes  bestowed  that  kept  the 
lamps  of  hope  ever  burning  in  weary  and  sorrowing  breasts, 
as  the  Shepherd  walked  in  life  among  his  flock;  of  his 
consecrating  his  apostles  the  perpetual  guardians  of  his 
fold  and  the  missionaries  to  lead  into  it  out  of  the  passing 


430  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

centuries  the  chosen  ones;  of  Holy  Church  which  he  said 
was  the  never  dying  shepherd,  of  its  sacred  ministry ;  how  it 
had  gone  on  healing,  feeding,  strengthening,  counseling, 
comforting  and  cheering  human  hearts,  and  conquering  evil 
and  ennobling  lives,  purifying  and  perfecting  men,  and 
bringing  to  them  happiness  where  sensual  delights  but 
sicken  the  soul.  He  appealed  to  those  who  wandered  with 
out,  having  no  rest  in  their  hearts,  to  the  weary  and 
burdened,  to  enter  its  blessed  refuge  and  lay  down  their 
burdens  and  find  peace  on  earth  and  hope  eternal. 

"  You,"  and  his  gaze  unconsciously  rested  on  Herman, 
"  whose  souls  are  winged  for  lofty  flights,  whose  ambition 
reaches  for  glorious  prizes,  whose  hearts  passionately  strug 
gle  for  earthly  accomplishments,  who  wrestle  with  angels 
and  fight  with  devils,  can  never  feel  the  exquisite  sweet 
ness  of  victory  nor  reap  satisfying  joy  from  conquest,  with 
out  the  inspiration  drawn  from  sacred  fires  and  the  bene 
diction  breathed  by  consecrated  lips;  and  if  the  world 
bestows  failures  instead  of  triumphs,  and  breaks  the  wings 
of  vaulting  ambition,  and  the  desolate  soul  wanders  among 
the  ruins  of  its  idols,  with  maybe  the  demons  it  fought 
its  mocking  companions,  there  is  but  one  refuge,  one  rest 
ing  place,  one  green  pasture  where  are  living  waters  that  re 
new  the  spirit  —  the  fold  whose  shepherd  is  our  Divine 
Lord." 

Martha  and  Herman  walked  down  from  the  Mission  to 
gether.  They  both  appeared  to  have  been  impressed  by  the 
sermon,  and  every  now  and  then  Martha  cast  a  glance  at 
her  companion's  serious  face.  Finally  she  said: 

"  You  seem  very  quiet  and  thoughtful  to-day,  Mr.  Thomas. 
Is  it  the  spirit  of  Sunday  or  the  sermon  of  Father  Aloysius, 
which  seemed  directed  to  you  restless  and  unsatisfied  ones 
outside  the  faith,  or  have  you  worldly  trouble  to  worry 
you?" 

"  I  think  all  three  combined  give  me  a  feeling  of  serious 
ness  and  no  doubt  a  long  face;  I  went  to  sleep  last  night 
and  awoke  this  morning  in  a  fit  of  despondency;  but  that 
has  been  driven  away  by  the  services  and  the  sermon,  and 
indeed  your  sitting  beside  me,  such  a  picture  of  peaceful- 
ness  as  well  as  devotion  did  me  good  and  helped  drive 
away  melancholy;  still  it  all  makes  me  thoughtful.  I  sup- 


HERMAN'S  GRAY  SUNDAY       431 

pose  you  regard  me  as  a  heathen  and  an  Ishmaelite,  with 
no  church  or  creed  ?  " 

"  No,  I  only  pity  you;  for  I  know  you  are  losing  a  great 
deal  of  consolation  and  comfort.  I  have  no  doubt  you  will 
some  day  be  in  the  fold,  and  will  then  be  regretting  that 
you  were  so  long  without  the  peace  and  happiness  there 
are  in  it." 

"Well,  if  object  lessons  alone  were  enough  to  convert 
my  perverse  and  worldly  heart,  I  would  soon  succumb  to 
such  excellent  examples  as  you  and  Father  Aloysius.  For 
you  are  very  good  and  unselfish  and  do  so  much  good  and 
are  very  peaceful,  and  Father  Aloysius  has  to  me  some 
thing  of  the  saint  in  him.  But  I  am  very  wayward  and  my 
mind  is  so  fickle,  and  there  is  such  a  whirl  of  emotions 
within  me ;  and  there  seem  so  many  sides  to  every  proposi 
tion,  be  it  a  conceit  of  the  imagination  or  a  problem  in 
logic,  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  pray  or  reason  my 
way  into  any  religious  belief." 

"  So  you  own  to  being  fickle." 

"  Only  as  to  abstract  thoughts  and  mental  fancies.  In 
deed,  Miss  Martha,  I  am  not  fickle,  I  am  very  loyal;  some 
times  I  fear  too  loyal  to  friends  and  benefactors.  I  am 
sure  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  would  ever  make 
me  find  or  think  that  I  had  found  in  another  the  same 
happy,  refining  influence  you  have  over  me." 

Martha  looked  at  him,  and  said  laughing: 

"  Oh,  what  a  foolish,  sentimental  youth  you  are !  Of 
course  I  feel  complimented  that  at  the  present  moment 
you  think  I  have  some  good  traits  and  believe  that  I  try 
to  do  some  good,  and  I  know  you  are  sincere ;  but  how  many 
other  young  women  are  there  whose  influence  has  been 
just  as  happy  to  your  impressionable  nature  as  mine? 
Have  you  not  told  me  of  this  wonderfully  attractive  woman 
abroad  and  that  charming  Presbyterian  girl  at  your  old 
home;  and  another  lovely  creature  that  threw  romance  over 
your  law  student  days?  How  long  do  you  think  it  will 
be  before  some  witching  dame  comes  along,  not  such  an  old- 
fashioned  being  as  I,  but  with  winning  graces  and  charming 
manners  and  responsive  nature  whose  influence  will  quickly 
replace  in  your  captive  heart  what  little  of  mine  once 
lurked  there  ?  " 


432  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Indeed  you  do  not  understand  me,  Miss  Martha,"  said 
Herman  earnestly.  "  I  admit  that  I  have  been  charmed 
with  more  than  one  young  girl  with  a  sweet  face  and  win 
ning  ways,  like  all  youngsters,  especially  dreamers ;  but 
it  has  always  been  a  play-ground  fancy,  a  diversion  of  the 
hour,  as  it  was  to  the  objects,  and  I  look  at  them  as  pretty 
pictures  in  the  gallery  of  the  past;  but  never  before  has 
woman  impressed  and  influenced  me  as  have  you.  I  do 
not  know  what  impels  me  to  speak  of  this  to-day,  unless 
it  be  the  great  need  I  feel  for  your  sympathy  and  help;  I 
had  resolved  not  to  let  you  imagine  how  much  you  are  to 
me  until  I  had  proved  my  manhood  and  my  ability  and 
achieved  something  worthy  of  your  admiration.  You  have 
come  into  my  heart  not  simply  as  a  fond  object  of  devo 
tion,  b^it  as  a  companion  of  my  serious  and  sacred  thoughts, 
as  a  purifying  spirit,  as  a  counsellor  and  comforter.  Can 
it  not  be  that  some  day  I  may  cherish  this  good  angel 
as  my  own  peculiar  blessing,  part  of  my  life  ?  " 

Martha's  face  had  grown  very  sad;  she  turned  it  away 
from  Herman  and  her  gaze  for  a  long  time  rested  on  the 
mountains,  and  they  seemed  to  look  compassionately  on 
her  and  in  their  impressive  solemnity  to  direct  her  spirit  to 
sacred  purposes  and  divine  help.  At  last  she  turned  and 
said  to  Herman,  with  her  voice  full  of  deep  feeling: 

"  I  wish  you  had  not  said  what  you  did.  We  have  been 
such  good  friends.  I  have  had  so  great  an  interest  in 
your  success  and  happiness.  I  have  followed  your  career 
and  have  always  tried  to  help  you  and  thought  that  may 
be  I  could  advise  you  in  some  things  where  a  woman's  wit 
is  wisdom.  To-day  you  seemed  troubled  and  I  longed  to 
have  you  tell  me  what  it  was,  that  I  might  give  you  at  least 
my  sympathy.  Now,  you  will  put  a  barrier  between  us  and 
take  away  our  freedom  of  intercourse.  I  doubt  if  you 
know  as  yet  your  own  heart,  and  I  know  that  your  fancy 
exalts  me  above  what  I  am.  But  we  cannot  be  more  to 
each  other  than  we  are  now,  true  friends.  It  will  rest 
with  you  whether  we  remain  such." 

Herman  struggled  to  control  his  emotion,  but  a  mist  came 
over  his  eyes,  as  he  said: 

"  My  reason  told  me  that  I  could  not  hope,  creature  of 
failure  that  I  am,  to  realize  the  greatest  of  all  my  human 


HERMAN'S  GRAY  SUNDAY       433 

aspirations;  and  then  I  felt  it  was  folly  for  me  to  aspire 
much  less  to  speak  when  I  knew  within  me  that  another 
had  won  your  affections;  but  the  longing  was  so  great 
it  led  me  beyond  reason's  dictates." 

Martha  looked  at  him  with  astonishment,  and  said: 

"  What  in  the  world  do  you  mean  ?  No  man  can  claim 
my  affections  unless  it  is  my  dear  old  father." 

"  I  thought/'  answered  Herman  hesitatingly,  "  that  you 
had  a  great  fondness  for  Bucknill;  you  seemed  to  enjoy 
being  with  him  more  than  with  any  other  young  man,  and 
you  and  he  were  always  talking  earnestly  and  confidentially 
apart  from  others." 

Martha's  look  of  compassion  vanished  in  a  hearty  laugh. 

"  Why,"  she  said,  "  of  all  the  silly  children  I  have  met 
you  are  the  most  foolish.  Why,  of  course  I  am  fond  of 
Bucknill,  he  is  one  of  the  nicest  of  fellows,  and  I  love,  as 
any  woman  would,  to  have  confidential  talks  with  him,  be 
cause  he  talks  about  his  sweetheart,  an  English  country 
girl,  whom  this  summer  he  is  going  over  to  the  old  country 
to  marry  and  bring  back  to  a  sweet  little  home  he  is  plan 
ning,  and  he  thinks  I  am  wise  enough  to  give  him  some 
advice." 

A  great  sense  of  relief  came  to  Herman,  if  he  did  feel 
somewhat  sheepish. 

"  I  suppose  I  am  a  fool,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am  like  all 
who  covet  a  rare  prize.  It  makes  me  very  sad  that  you 
have  no  thought  beyond  what  you  have  for  any  friend.  But 
if  I  prove  myself  worthy,  may  I  not  still  hope  to  some 
day  win  something  more  from  you  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Martha,  the  seriousness  returning  to  her 
manner;  "you  must  drive  away  such  thoughts.  It  cannot 
be.  I  have  not  permitted  my  heart,  and  indeed  it  has  not 
been  inclined  to  take  into  it  other  than  its  present  loves, 
the  love  of  father  and  sister,  the  feeling  of  affection  to 
friends  and  the  love  of  humanity,  to  all  of  which  are 
tied  unselfish  purposes  and  duties.  My  dear  father  needs 
all  my  heart  can  give  of  affection  and  devotion,  more  than 
ever  before.  Do  you  see  who  are  coming  down  the  path 
way  along  the  foothills  ?  " 

Herman  looked  where  she  indicated  and  saw  Anna  and 
Walter  Stanley  walking  together. 


434          HOMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  There  is  an  illustration/'  she  continued,  "  of  where  my 
life's  duty  and  devotion  point.  There  may  be  a  sorrow 
coming  to  us  that  will  be  very  hard  for  poor  father  to  bear 
and  make  his  declining  years  very  sad,  and  my  life  must 
be  for  him." 

Some  little  ways  in  front  of  Anna  and  Stanley  were 
Carmelita  and  Pancho  leading  his  saddle  horse.  They 
stopped  for  a  moment  while  Pancho  gathered  for  her  a 
bunch  of  brodia.  She  looked  very  beautiful  in  her  simple 
attire  and  the  red  ribbons  beloved  by  the  natives,  and  her 
face  with  its  rich  coloring  beamed  with  innocent  fun  and 
her  eyes  sparkled  with  mischief.  As  the  other  couple 
passed  them,  Anna  slightly  in  advance,  Stanley  turned  and 
stared  at  her,  and  after  they  had  gone  some  little  distance, 
turned  and  looked  at  her  again. 

Herman,  when  Martha  ceased  speaking,  felt  as  though  he 
had  been  guilty  of  something  like  sacrilege  and  he  said 
almost  remorsefully: 

"  Forgive  me,  Miss  Martha,  for  being  so  selfish  in  speak 
ing  to  you  as  I  did.  I  feel  more  than  ever  how  superior 
you  are  to  me.  I  never  will  distress  you  again,  in  asking 
you  to  care  for  me  other  than  as  a  friend,  unless  I  know 
that  a  time  has  arrived  when  it  will  be  grateful  to  you  to 
have  me  do  so,  and  I  pray  that  some  day  it  may  happen  at  a 
time  when  I  am  more  nearly  your  equal.  We  shall  remain 
the  same  friends,  shall  we  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Martha;  "  and  now  tell  me  what  is 
troubling  you  so  to-day." 

Herman  then  told  her  about  his  loss  in  the  cattle  specula 
tion. 

She  did  not  seem  to  think  that  this  was  a  calamity  that 
should  cause  him  to  be  despondent.  It  might  easily  have 
happened  to  the  shrewdest  and  there  was  no  reason  why, 
so  she  thought,  he  should  not  redeem  it  in  something  else. 
Then  he  went  on  to  say  that  it  was  not  the  actual  pecuniary 
loss  that  grieved  him,  for  he  bore  without  chagrin  or  re 
gret  any  misfortune  that  came  to  him,  but  it  was  the  con 
viction  that  he  had  no  foresight  or  practical  judgment, 
and  that  he  would  always  meet  with  failures;  besides  it 
left  him  in  debt.  This  was  not  his  only  loss,  he  went  on 
to  say,  but  he  had  made  other  ventures  and  all  had  turned 


HERMAN'S  GRAY  SUNDAY  4-35 

out  badly.  Martha  said  that  there  was  only  one  rule,  she 
believed,  for  him  to  follow :  never  to  let  his  enthusiasm  carry 
him  away  and  not  only  to  seek  and  be  governed  by  the 
advice  of  shrewd,  successful  business  men,  but  to  touch 
nothing  that  such  men  did  not  themselves  invest  in. 

Herman  recognized  the  soundness  of  the  advice,  but  he 
questioned  his  having  enough  self  control  to  follow  it  in 
his  mad  moments.  However,  his  worry  about  his  affairs 
had  been  dissipated,  but  a  sadness  and  dreariness  lingered 
with  him  during  the  day  and  colored  his  thoughts  on  his 
solitary  ride  the  next  morning  to  the  La  Jota  rancho. 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

THE    RODEO 

THE  following  morning,,  Herman  rode  down  to  Santa  Susana 
where  he  met  Bebeleche  and  the  proposed  purchaser  •  of 
his  cattle  and  made  all  the  arrangements  to  conclude  the 
deal.  He  then  went  on  up  the  valley  to  the  house  of  his 
friend,  Robert  McFarland,  and  spent  the  night  with  him. 
The  La  Jota  rancho  was  only  an  hour's  ride  from  there. 
On  his  trip  down,,  a  few  miles  out  of  St.  Agnes,  he  had 
passed  a  gypsy  camp  and  stopped  a  moment  to  admire  a 
beautiful  horse  that  had  the  look  of  a  thoroughbred  Arabian, 
and  possessing  almost  human  intelligence.  A  gypsy  whom 
he  recognized  as  the  captain  he  had  seen  in  Santa  Susana 
the  night  of  the  Republican  meeting  and  who  at  once 
knew  Herman  and  saluted  him  politely,  was  putting  the 
horse  through  a  course  of  training.  A  boy,  from  his  re 
semblance,  evidently  a  son  of  the  captain,  was  on  his  back 
without  saddle  or  bridle.  The  boy  would  gallop  him  at 
full  speed,  when  the  captain  would  give  a  loud  whistle 
and  the  horse  would  instantly  stop;  another  more  prolonged 
whistle  and  he  would,  despite  all  the  efforts  of  the  boy  to 
prevent  it,  turn  and  come  up  to  his  master.  The  boy  would 
then  direct  him  in  a  rhythmical  trot  through  a  series  of 
movements,  guiding  him  here  and  there,  circling  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left,  by  simply  touching  or  pressing  with  his 
whip  the  one  side  of  other  of  his  neck.  The  captain  would 
give  another  and  different  signal  and.  the  animal,  which  had 
been  as  gentle  as  a  kitten,  would  commence  rearing  and 
plunging  madly,  to  instantly  resume  his  quiet  demeanor  at  a 
different  call.  Herman  as  he  rode  off  afforded  the  gypsy 
eminent  satisfaction  by  telling  him  that  he  had  never  seen 
a  more  intelligent  or  more  beautifully  trained  beast. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning,  Herman  was  off  to  the 
scene  of  the   rodeo  on  a   fresh  horse,  borrowed   from  his 

436 


THE  RODEO  437 

friend  Robert.  When  he  reached  the  La  Jota  the  camp 
was  already  alive.  A  number  of  horses  saddled  and  bridled 
were  staked  out  and  rancheros  and  vaqueros  were  standing 
about  smoking  cigarittos  and  uttering  imprecations  upon  a 
cold  wet  fog  that  rested  on  the  earth  and  hid  from  view 
all  objects  a  few  yards  distant.  A  bunch  of  cattle,  gathered 
in  the  evening  before,  were  on  the  rodeo  ground,  and  their 
lowing  and  bellowing  came  out  of  the  gray  bank  like  wails 
from  the  ocean  caves.  Two  natives  were  industriously  dig 
ging  a  pit  to  serve  as  oven  and  two  others  had  been  gather 
ing  dead  wood  to  fill  it  and  were  trimming  staves  upon 
which  were  to  be  strung,  above  the  burning  pit,  pieces  of 
meat  from  the  calf  donated  by  the  ranch  owner  to  feed 
the  multitude. 

Pedro  Castanos,  a  pack  of  cards  sticking  out  of  one  of  his 
pockets,  sat  upon  a  log  over  which  he  had  thrown  the 
blanket  that  had  served  the  night  before  as  a  card  table 
where  more  than  one  twenty  had  changed  hands  and  several 
had  lodged  in  Pedro's  pocket.  He  evidently  had  no  idea 
of  engaging  in  the  rougher  sport  of  the  rodeo,  but  was 
resting  his  faculties  for  a  renewal  of  the  less  arduous  and 
more  profitable  game  of  the  night  before.  His  dog  Sancho, 
who  had  been  the  instrument  of  his  retaliation  upon  Brooks 
for  his  cavalier  treatment,  looking  ready  to  take  a  chunk 
out  of  anyone  his  master  might  desire  to  have  mutilated, 
lay  at  his  feet.  Herman  joined  a  group  of  rancheros  and 
stockmen,  among  them  the  purchaser  of  his  band  of  cattle, 
who  were  discussing  the  comparative  merits  of  their  saddle 
horses.  The  most  of  them  had  brought  with  them  an  extra 
horse  of  superior  quality  and  training  for  use  in  the  parting 
out  of  the  cattle,  where  they  vied  with  each  other  in  the 
skill  and  daring  of  their  horsemanship  and  the  strength, 
endurance  and  training  of  their  mounts.  Bebeleche  and  a 
Spanish  ranchero,  Don  Ygnacio  de  Vaca,  whose  house 
Herman  had  visited,  and  Seiior  Ordas  took  the  lead  in  the 
display  of  horses.  The  first  had  for  the  fancy  work  a 
strongly  built,  prettily  marked  pinto,  of  medium  height, 
agile  and  as  gentle  as  a  kitten.  That  of  Senor  Ordaz 
was  a  bay,  smaller,  with  more  of  the  mustang  in  him,  and 
muscular  and  active;  while  Don  Ygnacio's  was  a  beautiful 
satin  coated  and  clean  limbed  chestnut  with  more  speed 


438  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

than  the  others.  Each  of  the  animals  was  finally  broken 
and  beautifully  reined.  A  horse  fancier  arrived  as  they 
were  conversing,  taking  advantage,  as  was  the  custom  with 
these  traders,  of  the  gathering  of  ranch  owners  to  find  a 
market  for  his  stock.  He  had  with  him  three  or  four 
fairly  bred  animals  that  he  succeeded  in  disposing  of  be 
fore  the  day  was  over.  The  advent  of  the  horse  trader 
awakened  in  Senor  de  Vaca  reminiscences  of  the  olden 
time  in  California,  when  rodeos  bore  the  features  and 
possessed  the  attractions  of  carnivals,  and  he  and  Senor 
Ordaz  spoke  mournfully  of  the  decadence  of  the  good  old 
customs  that  gave  so  much  keen  enjoyment  to  and  shed 
such  a  coloring  of  romance  upon  ranch  life.  He  had  not 
departed  from  the  ways  and  his  rodeos  were  as  nearly  as 
possible  the  grand  affairs  of  former  days.  He  was  as 
punctilious  about  his  dress  and  that  of  his  steed  as  he 
was  when  a  young  gallant  showing  off  his  horsemanship  to 
the  senoritas  who  in  those  merry  times  gave  inspiration 
to  ranchero  and  vaquero.  His  leggings  were  of  the  most 
beautifully  tanned  skin,  perfectly  cut  and  tastefully  fringed ; 
his  jacket  braided  and  sash  fringed  with  gold;  his  som 
brero  unspotted  and  banded  with  tasseled  cords  of  ex 
quisitely  plaited  variegated  horsehair;  an  embroidered  shirt; 
a  neckerchief  that  any  woman  would  covet  for  a  center 
piece  and  a  scrape  of  finest  wool  and  brilliant  hues.  His 
saddle,  stamped  in  old  Mexican  designs  by  the  most  skilled 
of  the  old  Mission  leather  workers,  bridle  and  reins  were 
silver  mounted  and  his  bit  was  a  marvel  of  exquisitely 
wrought  enameled  steel,  the  work  of  an  old  Indian  taught 
by  a  Mission  friar.  He  himself  was  of  aristocratic  bearing, 
straight  as  an  arrow,  with  a  large  head  covered  with  gray 
curling  hair  and  gray  moustache. 

"  Ah,  amigo  vie  jo,"  he  said  to  Senor  Ordaz,  "  the  present 
days  are  muy  triste,  very  melancholy,  very  tame,  very  cold ; 
the  rodeo  is  nothing  more  than  an  uninteresting  round-up 
of  cattle,  where  in  our  younger  days  what  a  grand  fiesta 
it  was,  and  what  joyous  times  we  had!  This  seilor  brings 
to-day  two  or  three  horses  to  sell.  In  the  olden  time  it 
was  a  great  market,  not  only  for  fine  stock,  but  you  will 
remember,  for  everything  a  ranchero  or  his  wife  and  daugh 
ters  might  want  for  a  season.  How  those  extortionists  of 


DON"  YGXACIO  AND  SEXOR  ORDAZ 


THE  RODEO  439 

peddlers  used  to  display  their  wares  on  gayly  colored 
blankets  and  in  rustic  booths,  and  how  the  women  drained 
our  pockets  to  buy  the  finery,  and  how  we  packed  home  for 
the  enjoyment  of  ourselves  and  our  friends,  cigars  and 
tobacco,  choice  liquors  and  packs  of  fresh  playing  cards." 

"  Yes,  Don  Ygnacio,"  interrupted  Senor  Ordaz,  "  and 
the  mountebanks  !  And  diablita  Teresita  !  Ah,  you  remem 
ber  her,  Don  Ygnacio,  the  handsomest  black-haired,  black- 
eyed  Diana  that  ever  dealt  monte  on  the  Pacific.  I  do 
not  forget  how  you  never  missed  a  rodeo,  if  you  did  miss 
many  a  twenty,  when  she  shuffled  the  cards.  You  were 
many  years  younger  then,  amigo." 

"  Sigura,  compadre;  and  I  never  tried  my  luck  that  I 
did  not  see  you,  with  your  beardless  face  and  sable  locks, 
risking  your  last  peso  for  a  languishing  glance  from 
Diablita's  fatal  eyes ;  and  mira,  look  at  that  bruto" —  point 
ing  with  disgust  to  Pedro  Castanos,  crouched  upon  his  log, 
with  his  head  nodding  and  eyes  blinking,  his  mongrel  cur  at 
his  feet, — "  that  and  his  like  take  the  place  of  such  queens 
as  Diablita.'' 

"  You  are  right,  compadre,  lastima,  lastima,  you  are 
right,"  rejoined  Senor  Ordez,  "since  the  gringos  have 
come  our  greatness  has  gone." 

Here  a  vanquero  commenced  to  strum  on  a  jangling  guitar 
and  he  and  a  companion  started  up  a  lugubrious  air  which 
they  sang  in  thirds  through  their  noses. 

"  Listen  to  that,  and  think  of  how  Don  Guillermo,  when 
there  was  the  flash  of  youth  in  his  fierce  look,  and  his  mutton- 
chop  whiskers  and  bristling  moustache  had  a  gloss  upon 
them  —  not  the  blue-black  with  which  the  barber  now  hides 
the  frosts  of  years  — •  would  seat  himself  on  a  rocky  throne 
with  his  noble  guitar  whose  voice  like  that  of  an  organ, 
and  worthy  to  be  heard  at  so  noble  a  function  as  the  rodeo 
in  the  olden  time,  would  echo  through  the  trees,  down  the 
valley  and  up  the  mountain  sides  in  brilliant  marches  and 
waltzes  and  fantasies,  and  a  chorus  of  fresh  young  voices 
would  fill  the  nights  with  music." 

"  And  the  races !  Don  Ygnacio ;  the  half-mile  races  of 
halfbreeds  and  the  quarter-mile  dashes  of  mustangs." 

"  Yes,  compadre;  and  the  cockfights !  Out  in  the  great 
open  —  not  in  a  back  yard  among  the  adobes  —  out  where 


440          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

nature  inspired  the  beautifully  bred  cocks  that  took  part 
in  the  battles,  to  fight  to  victory  or  to  death." 

"  And  then,  compadre,  what  pride  the  vaqueros  and  ser- 
vientes  took  in  the  display  of  their  masters;  how  jaunty  and 
neat  in  their  dress,  and  how  well  groomed  were  the  horses 
and  polished  the  saddles  and  bridles.  If  one  like  that," 
pointing  to  Chapule  with  his  time-stained  leggings,  dirty 
shirt  and  shaggy  mustang,  "  would  have  appeared  at  a 
rodeo  in  those  days,  he  would  have  been  whipped  with 
riatas  off  the  ground." 

A  bright  line  at  last  stretched  along  the  western  horizon 
and  quickly  pried  the  fog  up  from  the  earth  and  dispersed 
it  into  sky  and  ocean.  The  camp  was  at  once  a  scene  of 
life.  The  guitar  was  dropped  and  the  wails  of  the  vocal 
ists  ceased;  the  vaqueros  cinched  their  horses  and  were  off 
in  every  direction.  Even  Pedro  awoke  and  lit  a  cigaritto, 
while  Sancho  stretched  himself  and  yawned.  In  an  hour 
or  two  the  cattle,  wild  and  tame,  fat  and  thin,  commenced 
to  come  in  bellowing  from  the  different  canons,  driven  by 
the  shouting  vaqueros  darting  here  and  there  on  their  mus 
tangs;  plunging  down  precipitous  declivities,  their  horses 
now  and  then  sinking  to  their  knees  into  squirrel  holes  and 
lifted  upon  their  feet  by  the  alert  riders  before  they  could 
lose  their  balance;  dashing  up  climbing  trails  and  skirting 
steep  side-hills ;  winding  up  and  down  in  the  sage  brush,  the 
dirt  and  stones  flying  beneath  the  horses'  hoofs,  heading 
off  each  unruly  beast  and  keeping  unbroken  the  band. 
Into  the  rodeo  ground  they  came  in  bands  of  twenty-five 
and  fifty  and  a  hundred.  The  rancheros,  as  soon  as  the 
last  bunch  was  brought  in,  mounted  their  fine  horses  and 
the  parting  out  of  the  cattle  of  the  different  owners  began. 
In  separating  the  individual  animals  of  the  different  pro 
prietors  from  the  common  herd,  the  skill,  dexterity  and  fear 
lessness  of  the  horsemen  —  to  the  spectators  —  were  mar 
velous.  Every  now  and  then  an  untamed  cow  would  break 
out  and  run  wildly  for  its  familiar  pastures,  to  be  immedi 
ately  followed  by  a  rider  who,  if  he  could  not  readily  turn 
back  the  bolter,  would  dart  by  it,  seize  its  tail  and  giving  it 
a  twist,  would  cross  the  animal's  legs  and  throw  it  to  the 
earth. 

A  magnificent  steer,  the  property  of  Senor  Ordaz,  fled 


THE  RESCUE  OF  HERMAN  FROM  THE  WILD  BULL 


THE  RODEO  441 

wildly  from  the  band  across  country  to  the  mountain  side. 
The  owner  galloped  after  it  at  full  speed.  A  steep  bar 
ranca  in  the  side  of  a  slope,  hidden  by  brush,  crossed  the 
course  taken  by  the  animal  which  it  reached  as  Senor  Ordaz 
was  within  a  few  feet  of  its  heels;  the  earth  gave  way  on 
the  bank  and  the  steer  plunged  headlong  into  the  crevice. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  horseman  was  doomed;  but  with  light 
ning  effort,  he  drew  his  horse  back  on  his  haunches  —  the 
ground  breaking  beneath  his  front  feet  —  threw  him  to  one 
side  and  spurred  him  along  the  barranca's  edge,  the  earth 
crumbling  off  and  rattling  beneath  his  feet,  working  him 
up  the  side,  until  at  last  sound  footing  was  gained,  and 
galloped  cooly  back  to  the  band  amid  the  bravos  of  the  on 
lookers. 

Herman  had  taken  a  minor  part  in  the  parting  of  the 
cattle,  and  finding  that  his  saddle  had  been  slipping  for 
ward,  he  stopped  and  dismounted  to  tighten  the  cinch.  As 
he  did  so,  a  vicious  young  bull  maddened  by  the  tumult, 
broke  from  a  nearby  band  and  rushed  at  him  furiously.  He 
did  not  realize  his  danger  until  startled  by  cries  of  "  guardo 
senor!  cuidado  muchacho!  el  toro!  el  toro!  and  his  horse 
tore  from  him  and  fled,  when  for  the  first  time  he  beheld 
the  bull  a  few  yards  in  front  of  him,  his  head  lowered 
and  his  eyes  flaming.  He  stood  dazed  for  the  time  being, 
not  knowing  what  to  do,  when  the  riata  of  Bebeleche,  who 
had  dashed  after  the  crazed  beast,  swished  through  the  air 
and  caught  its  forelegs,  throwing  it  to  the  ground  almost 
at  the  feet  of  Herman. 

"  A  close  call,  my  boy,"  said  Don  Ygnacio,  who  was 
directly  behind  Bebeleche,  ready  to  act,  had  he  missed; 
"  you  did  a  very  risky  thing  to  dismount  so  near  these  ex 
cited  beasts;  you  never  can  tell  when  some  one  of  them 
will  become  crazed  and  break  loose  with  blood  in  his 
eye." 

After  the  separating  of  the  cattle  the  branding  and  ear 
marking  of  the  calves  took  place.  All  calves  following 
cows  were  recognized  as  the  property  of  the  owner  of  the 
cows  they  claimed  as  mothers ;  the  mavericks,  or  those  that 
followed  no  cows,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  range,  be 
longed  to  the  owner  of  the  rancho  where  the  rodeo  was 
held  and  received  his  brand  and  ear  mark.  Herman  re- 


442  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

marked  to  Bebeleche  dolefully  that  very  few  of  his  cows 
seemed  to  have  any  calves,  and  those  they  had  already  bore 
somebody  else's  brand. 

The  day's  work  over  and  having  seen  Chapule  off  with 
his  little  band,  Herman  parted  with  his  friends  and  re 
turned  to  Robert's  house,  Bebeleche  and  Don  Ygnacio  ac 
companying  Sefior  Ordaz  as  his  guests.  The  next  day  they 
again  met  on  Herman's  range,  and  held  another  rodeo,  and 
the  sale  of  his  cattle  was  consummated  and  the  stock  de 
livered.  In  the  evening  Don  Ygnacio,  Sefior  Ordaz  and 
Bebeleche  dined  with  Robert  and  Herman,  and  rehearsed, 
over  their  coffee  and  cigars,  the  events  of  the  past  two 
days.  As  the  moon  appeared  over  the  mountain,  they 
mounted  their  horses,  thanked  their  host  for  an  enjoyable 
evening  and  rode  away.  Before  going,  Bebeleche  tried  to 
persuade  Herman  to  spend  the  following  day  with  him  in 
Santa  Susana,  but  he  declined,  saying  that  important  busi 
ness  in  St.  Agnes  compelled  his  return  the  next  day  by  the 
shorter  route  over  the  mountain  pass.  The  Basque  then 
drew  from  his  pocket  a  handsome  flask  with  silver  cup,  on 
which  Herman's  name  was  engraved,  filled  with  old  native 
brandy. 

"  Accept  this,  amigo,"  he  said,  "  as  a  little  token  of  the 
good  will  I  bear  you,  and  may  it  serve  you  as  good  a  turn 
as  did  my  riata  when  it  performed  its  best  act  in  rescuing 
you  from  the  horns  of  the  mad  bull ;  "  and  he  was  away 
before  Herman  could  express  his  thanks. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

HERMAN     ENCOUNTERS     BUCKLEY     ON     MOUNTAIN     CREST 

THE  sun  had  not  yet'  risen  when  Jim,  bowing  and 
grinning,  wished  Herman  a  safe  trip  home  after  having 
fortified  him  with  a  cup  of  strong  black  coffee  and  some 
doughnuts  and  received  in  return  a  "  four-bit  piece,"  and 
watched  him  ride  off,  his  horse  fresh  and  himself  refreshed 
by  a  good  night's  sleep.  Spring  still  held  its  sway,  though 
a  soft  haze  and  a  faint  breath  of  summer's  ardor  heralded 
the  near  change  of  nature  to  the  ripened  odors  and  mellow, 
golden  tints  of  the  season  of  lassitude  and  loitering  and 
truancy  from  toil.  The  low  toned  matins  of  the  birds,  the 
dark  gray  sky  with  a  faint  glow  in  the  east,  the  gentle 
rippling  of  the  little  river,  the  trees  and  bowlders  and  ferns, 
and  the  mountains  looming  up  out  of  the  lingering  shades 
of  night,  the  stretches  of  wild  flowers  in  the  fullness  of 
their  bloom,  the  glimpses  of  picturesque  vistas  through  the 
woodland  and  miniature  caiions  stretching  out  into  the  val 
leys  —  the  whole  scene  awakened  from  slumber  and  drowsily 
awaiting  the  transit  of  the  sun  across  the  horizon  to  spring 
into  light  and  life  and  energy  —  charmed  the  spirit  of  our 
dreamer  and  blended  with  his  thoughts  and  fancies.  They 
were  subdued  and  serious  and  in  the  minor  key.  Like  the 
mist  that  rested  upon  the  landscape  was  the  reflection  of 
Martha's  response  to  the  expression  of  his  longings  that 
had  taken  away  so  much  of  hope's  lustre  from  his  heart. 
Beneath  its  shadow  his  thoughts  wandered  back  through 
the  past  —  through  the  varied  scenes  of  his  life  with  their 
hopes,  and  aspirations,  their  brightness  and  sweetness,  and 
their  failures  and  sorrowings;  the  faces  pictured,  the  voices 
that  spoke,  the  figures  that  moved  and  the  incidents  that 
distinguished  them.  He  thought  he  could  trace  a  theme 
through  all  their  broken  medley,  a  theme  that  threaded  its 
way  out  of  the  past  among  the  undefined  purposes,  uncer- 

443 


444  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

tainties   and  inconsequences   of  the  present  and  was   only 
lost  in  the  mystery  of  the  future.     And  there  seemed  to 
echo  back  through  the  aisles  and  corridors  of  his  life  some 
thing  akin  to  faintly  heard  tones  of  a  bell  tolling  out  from 
the  coming  years  solemnly  summoning  to  a  lofty  goal.     He 
wondered  if  there  was  some  mission  for  him  not  yet  dis 
closed  ;  if  he  was  being  prepared  and  disciplined  for  a  noble 
commission.     What  appeared  remarkable  to  him  was  how 
the  independent  phases  of  his  life  which  had  shifted  like 
the  scenes  of  a  drama  were  linked  together  by  isolated  hap 
penings  in  the  one  that  became  shapers  of  his  destiny  in 
others.     Some  incident  that  had  made  its  impression  on  his 
mind  and,  finished,  had  passed  away,  would  under  different 
circumstances  and  surroundings  in  a  dissimilar  act  in  his 
life,  reappear  in  its  lesson  or  compelling  influence  or  as  a 
part  of  a  strange,  mysterious  sequence.     He  had  grown  to 
regard  any  striking  event  as  happening  for  a  purpose  that 
would  some  day  be  disclosed  and  he  was  rarely  astounded 
when  under  strange  circumstances  his  impression  was  veri 
fied.     Then,  in   so  many  instances  it  seemed  to  him  that 
Providence  had  singularly  directed  him,  against  his  own  will 
or  wayward  purpose,  away  from  dangers,  and  rescued  him 
from  evil,  and  the  fact  that  it  was  the  hand  of  a  higher 
power  was  brought  so  unmistakably  to  his  inner  conscience, 
that  his  reason  could  not  refute  it.     In  his  retrospect,  as 
he  rode  along,  his  rescue  of  poor  old  Saterlee  presented 
itself  to  him  vividly,  as  it  had  often  before,  with  the  feeling 
that  it  must  have  some  sequel  for  him  in  the  future,  and  he 
wondered  what  it  would  be.     The  features  and  fiendish  ex 
pression  of  the  would-be  murderer  were  photographed  on 
his  mind  and  he   felt  sure  he  would  see  his   face  again, 
and  speculated  as   to  where  he   was   and  what  scheme  of 
vengeance,  if  he  had  any,  was  stored  within  him.     When 
he  came  to  that  part  of  the  trail  where  Macdonald  and  he 
had   leaped  the  crevice   in   the   dark,  he  tried  to   find  the 
spot  and  succeeded  in  locating  it  —  indeed,  there  were  traces 
of  the  horses'  scramble  yet  unobliterated ;  and  he  shivered 
at  the  thought  of  the  risk  taken  in  attempting  to  cross  the 
chasm.     He  would  not  have  dared  attempt  it  then  in  day 
light    alone.     Starting   to    ascend   the    steep    grade   to   the 
narrow  ridge  he  remembered  his  experience  the  night  when 


HERMAN  ENCOUNTERS  BUCKLEY         445 

his  horse  bucked  with  him;  and  he  stopped  and  dismounted 
and  tightened  the  girth.     He  rested  a   few  moments   and 
let  his  horse  browse  on  a  little  patch  of  wild  oats.     Then 
caressing  him,  to  which  the  horse  responded  by  rubbing  his 
shoulder  with   his  head,   he  remounted   and   continued   his 
journey.     It  was  the  same  horse  he  rode  on  that  night  trip, 
but  master   and  beast  knew  each  other  much  better  now, 
and  Herman  felt  safe  with  him  no  matter  what  of  extra 
ordinary  might  happen.     He  was  his  own  hostler  and  fed 
and  groomed  him.     As  he  reached  the  crest  of  the  ridge, 
the  sun  which  had  come  out  in  a  blaze  of  glory  and  dazzled 
the  rider's  eyes  hid  its  glare  beneath  a  fleece  of  clouds  that 
hung  motionless  in  the  sky.     He  approached  the  spot  where 
the  trail  widened  a  little,  and  where  he  had  dismounted  on 
his  night  trip.     The  scrub  oaks  concealed  the  trail  on  either 
side  from  view,  and  anyone  approaching  from  one  side  could 
not    see    one    coming    from    the    other    direction    until    the 
riders  were  within  a  few  yards  of  each  other.     Herman's 
senses   were  unusually  keen  as  he  drew  near  this  point; 
he    was    nervous    and    impressed    with    a    presentiment    of 
danger.     When  the  trail  came  into  view  beyond  the  trees 
he   saw   another   horseman   approaching.     It  was   Buckley. 
A  rough  scraggy  beard  covered  his  face  which  had  always 
been  clean  shaven  since  his  first  appearance  in  St.  Agnes, 
and  he  bore  the  look  of  a  desperate  outlaw.     As  soon  as  his 
eyes  rested  upon  Herman  a  devilish  expression  came  into 
Buckley's  face  and  he  drew  his  revolver  and  leveled  it  at 
him,  each  having  instinctively  brought  his  horse  to  a  halt. 
The  impression  that  had  haunted  Herman  since  the  night 
he  met  Buckley  in  the  American  Hotel  —  of  having  seen 
him  before  —  in  a  flash  took  substance,  and  he  recognized 
the  assailant  of  Saterlee.     Buckley  caught  the  expression  of 
recognition  on  his  face  and  cried  out  with  an  oath,  "  You 
know  me  now,   do   you?     Well,   carry  your  knowledge  to 
hell  with  you !  "  and  he  fired.     As  the  desperado  pulled  the 
trigger  Herman  threw  himself  to  one  side  the  neck  of  his 
horse  and  rushed  him  to  the  spot  where  he  had  once  be 
fore   reached    safety,   the    bullet   whistling   over   his    back. 
Buckley's   horse,   frightened   by   the   report   and   the   dash 
forward  of  the  other  horse,  reared  and  swaying  to  one  side 
came  down  with  his  forelegs  beyond  the  edge  of  the  narrow 


446  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

trail,  and  horse  and  rider  plunged  over  the  precipice.  The 
shock  of  his  peril  and  the  horror  of  the  fate  of  the  intended 
assassin  left  Herman  weak  and  sick,  and  his  horse  stood 
trembling  under  him.  He  took  off  his  hat,  bowed  his  head, 
and  thanked  God  for  his  rescue.  He  then  remembered  the 
gift  of  Bebeleche  and  his  wish  that  it  might  serve  him  a 
good  turn,  and  took  a  deep  draught  from  the  flask.  His 
strength  soon  returned,  and  having  soothed  his  faithful 
horse,  he  continued  on  his  course.  At  the  foot  of  the  descent 
from  the  ridge  he  met  the  Sheriff  who  inquired  of  him  ex 
citedly  if  he  had  met  Buckley.  Herman  told  him  what 
had  happened  and  they  rode  into  town  together,  the  Sheriff 
saying  that  he  would  send  out  the  coroner  and  some  men 
for  the  remains.  He  then  narrated  to  Herman  the  cir 
cumstances  connected  with  Buckley's  escape. 

"Both  Buckley  and  Vanegas  broke  jail,"  he  said,  "and 
had  outside  aid  in  doing  it.  They  were  furnished  instru 
ments  to  work  with,  given  revolvers  and  told  where  to  find 
horses.  I  am  pretty  sure  in  my  mind  who  the.  head  devil 
was.  He  doesn't  live  in  St.  Agnes,  and  he's  big  game;  but 
he  isn't  too  big  for  me  to  trail.  I  left  a  guard  last  night,  a 
man  I  can  trust,  who  never  goes  to  sleep  on  duty,  with  my 
usual  instruction  to  shoot  to  kill  if  an  attempt  was  made 
by  the  prisoners  to  escape.  About  midnight  Buckley  called 
the  watchman  to  the  jail  window,  which,  as  you  know,  is 
only  fortified  with  perpendicular  iron  bars  a  considerable 
distance  apart,  and  asked  him  for  a  light,  as  he  could  not 
sleep  and  wanted  to  take  a  smoke.  The  watchman  handed 
him  a  block  of  matches  through  the  bars,  and  as  he  did  so, 
Buckley  grabbed  his  arm  and  pulled  it  through,  while 
Vanegas  sprang  forward  and  caught  his  neckerchief  and  the 
other  arm  and  pulled  him  up  against  the  bars  and  then 
lashed  him  tight,  having  crammed  a  handkerchief  into  his 
mouth  as  a  gag.  They  then  went  to  work  and  dug  a  hole 
through  the  adobe  wall  and  got  out  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  They  went  directly  to  a  stable  where  there 
were  two  horses  and  saddles  and  bridles  and  went  off  with 
them.  Just  outside  the  town  Vanegas's  animal  stepped 
on  a  stone  and  lamed  himself  badly.  This  was  just  near 
a  gypsy  camp.  He  took  off  the  horse's  bridle  and  tied  him 
to  a  tree;  then  carrying  the  bridle  with  him  he  crept  into 


HERMAN  ENCOUNTERS  BUCKLEY         447 

the  camp  and  caught  one  of  the  horses  of  the  gypsies  and 
rode  off  with  him.  No  Indian  could  beat  him  at  a  still 
hunt  and  he  was  slick  enough  to  get  the  animal  without  be 
ing  discovered,  but  as  soon  as  he  started  off  the  dogs  woke 
up.  The  horse  was  a  fancy  one  belonging  to  the  captain 
and  it  didn't  take  the  owner  more  than  a  minute  to  discover 
the  theft.  He  ran  out  and  whistled  and  the  horse  stopped 
and  came  back  and  commenced  plunging  violently.  It  was 
impossible  for  Vanegas  to  control  him.  He  was  furious 
and  desperate,  and  drew  his  revolver  and  fired  at  the  cap 
tain,  the  ball  taking  off  a  piece  of  his  ear.  The  gypsy  only 
wanted  the  excuse  to  do  it,  I  think,  for  he  seemed  to  have 
known  Vanegas  and  had  no  use  for  him,  and  shot  him 
through  the  heart.  So  these  villains  are  settled  and  it 
saves  me  a  lot  of  trouble  and  the  people  in  the  neighbor 
hood  will  feel  more  comfortable.  I  know  one  man  who 
won't  do  any  crying  over  their  graves,  and  that  is  your 
friend  Howells." 

Herman  felt  that  evening  a  sense  of  extreme  loneliness 
and  longing  for  sympathetic  companionship,  and  so  fled  the 
uncongenial  hotel  loungers  to  whom  he  had  become  an  ob 
ject  of  inquisitive  interest  and  walked  down  to  Col.  Mor 
gan's.  It  seemed  to  him  an  age  since  that  gray  Sunday 
only  a  few  days  back  when  his  heart  lost  the  radiance  and 
warmth  that  hope  had  shed  upon  his  dreams,  even  though 
the  lamp  was  often  dim  and  flickering,  and  it  appeared  to 
him  as  if  he  were  returning  from  a  long  absence  to  a  pres 
ence  he  had  left  a  playfellow  of  his  thoughts  and  fancies, 
to  meet  a  superior,  translated  to  a  higher,  remoter  sphere. 

He  was  greeted  with  feeling  by  the  Colonel  and  his 
daughters,  who  were  impressed  by  his  changed  appearance; 
he  seemed  much  older  and  his  face  wore  a  deep  seriousness. 
Martha  was  touched  and  turned  aside  after  greeting  him 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  They  had  heard  of  his  marvelous 
escape  from  death,  and  told  him  how  thankful  they  were 
for  it,  and  through  their  happy  influence  the  nervous  strain 
he  had  been  under  soon  relaxed  and  he  recounted  the  whole 
story  of  his  connection  with  Buckley,  including  the  final 
act  of  that  day.  He  told  of  his  former  trip  with  Macdonald 
over  the  same  trail,  of  his  accident  on  the  very  spot  where 
he  met  the  desperado,  and  said  that  he  felt  convinced  that 


448  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

only  his  prior  experience  and  knowledge  of  the  locality 
had  enabled  him  to  act  quickly  enough  to  save  himself.  It 
seemed  to  him  as  if  he  had  been  purposely  prepared  for  the 
desperate  encounter.  As  Herman  told  the  story  simply,  a 
tone  of  deep  seriousness  in  his  voice,  all  trace  of  his  youth 
ful  vivacity  seemed  to  have  vanished  and  the  listeners  were 
doubly  impressed  with  the  appearance  of  his  having  grown 
older  by  years.  Martha  sat,  her  hand  over  her  eyes,  watch 
ing  him  intently  beneath  it,  and  when  he  had  finished  she 
walked  to  the  door  and  for  sometime  stood  looking  out  into 
the  starlight  night;  and  if  Herman  had  been  close  to  her 
he  might  have  heard  the  utterances  of  her  compassionate 
heart:  "It  is  so  sad,  so  very  sad.  It  seems  as  if  he  had 
been  robbed  of  his  youth.  I  wonder  if  he  is  very  lonely! 
Why  should  he  have  spoken  to  me  just  before  this  awful 
ordeal?  I  wonder  if  I  have  taken  any  brightness  from 
his  life!" 

When  he  took  his  departure  Col.  Morgan  and  the  ladies 
accompanied  him  to  the  gate,  and  the  Colonel  again  ex 
pressed  his  congratulations  for  his  happy  escape  and  said: 

"Cheer  up,  my  boy;  you  are  born  under  a  lucky  star, 
and  you  will  live  to  triumph  over  all  obstacles  thrown  in 
your  way,  and  win  what  your  heart  most  desires." 

After  the  sound  of  Herman's  footsteps  had  died  away 
the  Colonel  said,  as  they  walked  back  to  the  house: 

"  I  have  grown  fond  of  that  boy.  There  is  something 
in  him  that  attracts  me,  and  much  that  characterized  my 
own  youth.  He  has  a  great  deal  to  learn,  a  great  deal  to 
conquer,  and  no  little  to  suffer;  but  I  believe  that  he  will 
come  out  in  the  end  victor." 

The  words  "  no  little  to  suffer  "  kept  repeating  them 
selves  that  night  and  often  afterwards  came  into  Martha's 
mind. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

WALTER  STANLEY  SEEKS   INTIMACY  WITH    CARMELITA 

MRS.  STANLEY  was  alone  in  her  home,  so  she  supposed.  She 
was  seated  in  her  own  room  on  an  ottoman  in  front  of  a 
low  window  adjoining  a  closet  whose  door  was  ajar  and 
had  spread  upon  the  window-sill  a  number  of  bonds  from 
which  she  was  clipping  the  coupons.  She  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  adjust  the  blind  so  as  to  conceal  what  she  was 
doing  from  the  street.  The  doorway  back  of  her  leading 
into  the  parlor  was  open  and  the  curtains  of  the  parlor 
window  opposite  looking  out  upon  the  porch  were  not  so 
tightly  drawn  that  it  prevented  one,  if  inclined  to  pry,  from 
seeing  her  and  her  occupation.  She  had  been  very  much 
preoccupied  with  her  thoughts  that  morning  and  had  been 
sitting  on  the  porch  alone  up  to  the  time  she  entered  the 
house  and  it  had  not  suggested  itself  to  her  to  guard  against 
spies  from  that  quarter.  Her  task  finished,  she  placed  the 
coupons  in  her  pocketbook  and  returned  the  bonds  to  a 
steel  fire-proof  box  that  sat  on  the  floor  by  her  side,  locked 
it  with  a  gold-mounted  key  which  she  placed  in  a  jewel 
case  in  her  chest  of  drawers,  carried  it  into  the  closet  and 
placed  it  in  a  cavity  under  the  floor  concealed  by  a  perfectly 
fitting  movable  plank.  The  hiding  place  had  been  con 
structed  in  the  absence  of  Walter  Stanley  by  Howells  on 
one  of  his  trips  to  St.  Agnes,  cabinet  work  being  one  of  his 
accomplishments.  One  other  had  been  present  during  the 
occupation  of  Mrs.  Stanley :  a  harmless  spectator  —  the  faith 
ful  Timon,  who  had  been  lying  in  a  sun-spot  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor.  Once  —  at  the  moment  she  was  gathering  up 
the  securities  and  replacing  them  in  the  box  —  he  pricked 
up  his  ears  and  looked  out  through  the  open  door  towards 
the  porch ;  then  seemingly  satisfied,  he  laid  his  head  between 
his  paws  and  continued  dozing  until  his  mistress  returned 
to  the  porch  where  he  followed  her.  As  she  came  out  Wal- 

449 


450  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

ter  Stanley  was  coming  up  the  steps.  He  was  in  an  agree 
able  mood  and  addressed  his  mother  pleasantly  as  he  moved 
her  chair  for  her  to  a  shady  place. 

"I  hardly  expected  to  see  you  at  this  hour,  Walter;  is 
there  nothing  up  town  to  distract  you  ?  "  she  said. 

"  There  never  is  anything  but  tameness  and  dullness  in 
this  graveyard,  and  were  it  not  for  my  speculations  and 
the  trips  to  San  Francisco  they  necessitate,  I  would  be 
come  demented.  But  I  do  not  come  now  from  uptown.  I 
have  been  at  the  Morgans." 

"  If  you  have  been  there  at  this  hour,  you  must  have  been 
upon  a  serious  errand.  Have  you  and  Anna  come  to  an 
understanding?  " 

"  No ;  and  what  is  more,  I  am  tired  of  it  all  and  feel  in 
clined  not  to  waste  my  time  and  attentions  any  further  upon 
a  girl  without  depth,  who  doesn't  appreciate  the  compliment. 
Besides,  there  is  not  enough  in  it;  and,  as  I  have  recently 
learned,  the  dot  she  would  bring  is  little  inducement." 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  say  she  has  rejected  you?  " 

"  No;  on  the  contrary  —  and  this  is  the  worst  of  it  —  she 
wants  to  marry  me  and  has  given  me  to  understand  as  much, 
but  says  we  must  wait  until  some  uncertain  time  in  the  dim 
future  when  she  may  be  able  to  obtain  her  father's  willing 
consent,  or  until  he  has  stepped  aside  into  another  world. 
Now,  I  have  met  these  delicate  old  army  officers  before, 
and  they  take  a  devilish  long  time  dying.  I  for  one  be 
lieve  in  quick  returns  and  don't  care  to  invest  in  indefinite 
futurities." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  replied  his  mother,  "  as  to  her  be 
ing  shallow,  and  only  wish  that  it  were  Martha  you  had 
devoted  yourself  to;  for,  with  all  her  religious  supersti 
tion,  she  is  a  strong  character  and  without  affectation  and 
might  help  you  make  some  material  profit  from  your  own 
accomplishments.  But  that  is  now  out  of  the  question,  and 
I  suppose  could  at  any  rate  never  have  been.  But  you  are 
mistaken  about  Anna's  dowry.  She  has  a  snug  little  for 
tune  left  by  her  mother  in  trust." 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,"  said  Walter;  "but  it  is  invested  in 
securities  yielding  a  small  rate  of  interest  and  she  can  only 
touch  the  income.  What  I  must  have  is  capital;  capital  to 
rescue  what  I  have  and  to  build  on  in  the  future." 


WALTER  STANLEY  AND  CARMELITA       451 

"If  all  your  investments  are  like  your  El  Roblar  Viejo 
stock,  I  fear  that  even  capital  could  not  rescue  you,  as  I 
understand  the  principal  thing  it  represents  is  litigation." 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  the  suit  brought  by  that  meddler 
Thomas.  It  will  be  soon  thrown  out  of  court;  it  is  nothing 
but  blackmail.  It  did,  however,  block  a  fine  deal  with  an 
English  syndicate,  and  I  have  now  less  love  than  ever  for 
this  shyster." 

"  I  think  you  can  hardly  call  him  that.  It  seems  to  me 
that  he  has  shown  some  brains  and  legal  attainments  in  ty 
ing  the  hands  of  such  an  astute  lawyer  as  Brooks,  to  say 
nothing  of  his  bringing  to  his  deserts  that  villain  Buck 
ley." 

"  Anyone  can  cloud  a  title  by  bringing  a  suit,  and  as  for 
getting  the  best  of  Buckley,  it  was  force  of  circumstances 
he  had  not  the  planning  of.  As  for  business  capacity,  he 
has  no  advantage  over  me.  Everything  he  has  touched  has 
been  a  pecuniary  failure,  and  from  the  looks  of  things, 
he  has  made  a  poorer  showing  than  I  in  the  Morgan  house 
hold.  No,  mother,  I  am  not  the  only  unsuccessful  one  in 
the  world,  nor  am  I  the  only  one  that  has  had  to  buck 
against  hard  luck." 

His  mother  after  a  few  moments'  thought,  said: 

"  Walter,  Thomas  may  have  been  unsuccessful  or  he  may 
have  had  hard  luck,  but  I  wish  your  chances  for  an  ultimate 
winning  were  as  good  as  his.  I  do  not  say  this  in  a  dis 
agreeable  way.  He  personally  and  I,  as  I  have  told  you 
before,  have  little  in  common,  but  his  industry  and  the 
methods  he  pursues  and  company  he  keeps,  or  rather  that 
which  he  avoids,  will  insure  him  success  some  day." 

Walter  bit  his  lips,  but  did  not  reply,  and  in  a  moment 
or  two  got  up  and  went  away.  He  walked  uptown,  avoid 
ing  the  main  street,  strolling  slowly  through  the  principal 
residence  quarter  of  the  native  Californians.  The  house 
of  Sefiora  Valenzuela  was  on  the  route.  When  he  reached 
it,  Carmelita  was  on  the  porch  talking  to  her  mockingbird 
as  she  teased  it  and  fed  it.  If  Stanley  had  no  soul  he  had 
an  artist's  eye  and  was  a  connoisseur  of  woman's  physical 
charms,  and  he  stopped  and  gazed  with  admiration  at  this 
simple,  untutored  native  girl.  The  beauty  of  her  features, 
the  ease  of  her  pose,  the  natural  grace  of  her  movements 


452  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  the  liquid  tones  of  her  voice  would  have  captivated  a 
more  appreciative  artist  and  a  better  man.  She  turned 
suddenly  and  saw  Stanley  standing  at  the  gate.  He  bowed 
and  asked  if  it  was  the  residence  of  Senora  Valenzuela. 

"  Yes  sir,"  she  replied,  without  embarrassment,  "  have 
you  any  message  for  her?  I  am  her  daughter." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  you,  Miss  Valenzuela ;  I  have  seen 
you  often  and  I  have  felt  it  strange  that  in  this  little  com 
munity  I  should  not  before  have  had  the  pleasure  of  an  in 
troduction.  I  am  Mr.  Stanley." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know,  Mr.  Stanley;  you  are  the  friend  of 
Miss  Anna  Morgan.  I  think  I  saw  you  walking  with  her 
a  few  Sundays  ago." 

"  No  doubt.  We  brought  letters  of  introduction  from 
Eastern  friends  to  the  Morgans  and  they  are  about  the  only 
persons  here  my  mother  has  any  intimacy  with.  She  is 
quite  lonely  here,  and  I  try  in  every  way  to  afford  her 
pleasure,  and  that  is  why  I  have  called  to-day.  I  want  to 
make  her  a  present  on  an  anniversary  that  will  soon  come, 
and  I  have  been  told  that  your  mother  makes  beautiful 
drawn-work,  and  I  came  to  see  if  she  could  work  me  some 
thing  pretty  for  the  purpose." 

"  Indeed,  yes.  No  one  can  make  handsomer  drawn-work 
than  Mamma,  and  she  will  be  very  glad  to  do  it." 

While  they  were  speaking  the  mockingbird  had  been  scold 
ing  and  screeching  like  a  parrot.  Carmelita  turned  to  it  and 
said: 

"  You  are  a  very  bad  bird.  Why  do  you  make  such 
noises  at  this  gentleman,  he  has  done  you  no  harm  and 
has  not  teased  you  ?  "  But  the  bird  became  more  abusive 
than  ever. 

"You  must  excuse  him,  Mr.  Stanley;  but  he  takes  such 
ridiculous  prejudices,  and  is  very  obstinate  about  it.  I 
knew  by  his  chattering  there  was  some  one  near  that  he 
made  up  his  mind  not  to  like  and  so  looked  around  and 
saw  you.  I  do  not  see  why  he  should  dislike  you,  as  before 
this,  it  was  only  bad  men  like  Mr.  Brooks  and  that  serpent 
Manuel  Espinosa.  You  could  not  well  be  bad  if  you  are 
the  friend  of  those  good  people,  the  Morgans.  You  would 
not  harm  a  widow  or  orphan,  would  you,  Mr.  Stanley?  " 

"  I  trust  not,  Miss  Valenzuela ;  but  it  might  be  the  other 


WALTER  STANLEY  AND  CARMELITA       453 

way.  A  beautiful  fatherless  girl  might  destroy  my  peace 
of  mind." 

"  I  hardly  think  that,  while  there  is  such  a  dear,  nice 
young  lady  like  Anna  to  keep  your  heart  happy.  I  know 
of  no  orphan  in  St.  Agnes  half  so  charming." 

Here  the  inmate  of  the  cage  gave  a  spiteful  cat-call. 

"  Your  jealous  mockingbird  does  not  think  so,  senorita," 
replied  Stanley.  "  He  knows,  as  do  others,  the  peerless 
charms  of  his  mistress." 

"  Do  you  think  it  nice,  Mr.  Stanley,  to  flatter  a  poor 
simple  muchacha  del  pais  in  this  way?  Is  it  not  almost  an 
indignity  ?  You  know  that  the  natives  have  never  been  away 
from  home,  never  seen  anything  of  the  world  and  would 
be  laughed  at  in  your  cities  by  your  fashionable  ladies,  and 
yet  you,  and  all  Eastern  gentlemen  like  you,  cover  us  with 
compliments  like  the  tinsel  from  our  cascarones,  and  probably 
when  our  backs  are  turned,  make  fun  of  our  simplicity." 

"  Not  so  with  me,  senorita,  I  am  too  proud  or  too  in 
dolent  to  bestow  praise  where  it  is  not  merited.  But  am  I 
to  believe  from  what  you  say  that  you  have  never  traveled  ?  " 

"  That  is  the  truth.  I  have  never  been  outside  the 
County  of  St.  Agnes." 

"  I  can  hardly  comprehend  it  with  your  ease  and  grace 
in  your  intercourse  with  traveled  people.  But  have  you  no 
desire  to  see  the  world  ?  " 

"  Yes  indeed,  the  longing  to  go  abroad  and  see  all  the 
beautiful  and  wonderful  things  of  the  world  and  meet 
strange  people,  and  learn  how  to  dress  and  act  so  as  to  be 
looked  upon  and  treated  like  a  lady  by  well  bred  and 
fashionable  men  and  women  is  always  in  my  heart.  I  can 
not  get  it  out,  and  it  makes  me  restless  and  often  cross.  I 
would  do  most  anything  that  would  not  be  sinful  to  be  able 
to  travel.  But  I  fear,"  she  said  with  a  sigh,  "  that  it  will 
never  come." 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  will  some  day  come.  Some  prince  will  dis 
cover  this  sleeping  beauty  in  St.  Agnes  and  carry  her  away 
where  she  can  see  and  have  all  the  lovely  things  she  wishes 
for.  If  I  could  be  transformed  into  such  a  prince,  how 
happy  I  would  be." 

"  I  am  a  foolish,  ignorant  girl,  Mr.  Stanley,  but  I  know 
enough  to  know  that  you  in  your  flattery  are  making  sport 


454  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

of  me,  and  it  is  not  nice.  I  must  go  in;  I  hear  Mamma 
calling.  If  you  will  tell  me  the  character  of  work  you 
wish  for  your  mother,  I  will  have  it  done." 

"  I  will  leave  that  to  the  taste  and  judgment  of  you  and 
your  mother.  But,  senorita,  you  do  me  great  injustice  when 
you  accuse  me  of  flattering  you.  May  I  say,  hasta  lluego, 
not  adios?  My  short  visit  has  given  me  great  pleasure." 

"  If  you  return  in  a  few  days,  you  can  look  at  the  pat 
tern  of  the  work  and  see  if  it  pleases  you.  Hasta  la  vista 
then,  senor."  And  she  disappeared  in  the  house,  and  Stan 
ley  continued  his  walk,  after  receiving  a  parting  vicious 
salute  from  the  mockingbird. 

As  Stanley  lifted  his  hat  in  taking  his  departure,  Father 
Aloysius  came  around  the  corner.  He  glanced  at  the  young 
man  sharply,  bowed  coldly  as  they  passed,  and  entered  the 
house  of  Mrs.  Valenzuela.  After  a  short  chat  with  her 
mother,  he  walked  out  upon  the  porch  with  Carmelita. 

"  I  see,"  he  said,  "  that  you  have  just  had  a  caller." 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Stanley ;  he  came  to  have  Mamma  make  him 
some  drawn-work  to  give  his  mother  as  a  present." 

"Did  he  see  your  mother?" 

"  No,  he  did  not  ask  to  see  Mamma ;  he  left  the  order 
with  me." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  he  made  himself  very  agreeable,"  con 
tinued  Father  Aloysius,  "  and  paid  you  many  compliments." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Carmelita,  laughing  and  blushing,  "  he 
said  some  very  nice  things,  like  the  most  of  these  young  men 
from  the  East,  and  I  told  him  I  knew  he  was  making  sport 
of  me." 

"  I  was  sure  of  that.  Now,  Carmelita,  you  must  not  re 
ceive  compliments  from  him.  If  he  calls  again  and  talks 
with  you,  let  it  be  about  nothing  than  his  business  errand, 
and  stop  any  effort  he  may  make  towards  familiarity,  or  the 
forming  of  an  intimate  acquaintanceship;  a  woman  knows 
well  how  to  do  this  without  being  offensive.  He  is  not  a 
proper  acquaintance  for  you." 

"  Father,"  replied  Carmelita,  pouting,  "  you  are  very 
strict,  very  hard  on  me,  trying  to  prevent  my  associating 
with  these  nice,  educated  Americans.  If  Mr.  Stanley  is  good 
enough  to  be  the  cavallero  of  Anna  Morgan,  why  is  he  not 
a  proper  one  for  me  to  be  acquainted  with  ?  " 


WALTER  STANLEY  AND  CARMELITA       455 

"  My  dear  godchild,  I  am  not  hard  on  you  and  I  am  not 
strict  with  you.     When  have  you  ever  seen  me  seek  to  re 
strict  your  innocent  freedom  with  young  men  of  your  own 
people, —  with  Pancho,  for  instance,  who  would  rather  die 
than   harm   you?      I   advise   you   as    I    am  doing   for   your 
own  happiness,  to  prevent  a  great  sorrow  or  suffering  com 
ing  into  your  life.     You  do  not  understand  these  worldly, 
fashionable    Americans.      In    your    simplicity    you    believe 
what  they  say  to  be  spoken  ingenuously  from  their  hearts ;  or 
if  you  think  it  flattery  you  regard  it  innocently  intended  as 
pretty  speeches  to  please  you.     You  detect  no  poison  lurking 
in  this  gentle  breeding  and  polished  address.     It  is  almost 
impossible  for  you  to  distinguish  in  them  the  true  man  from 
the  false.     The  very  fact  that  Mr.  Stanley  is  recognized  by 
the  world  as  betrothed  to  Miss  Anna  Morgan  should  make 
you  suspicious  of  the  sincerity  of  any  approaches  to  famil 
iarity  with  you.     Now,  my  child,  you  have  reason  to  know 
how  much  I  have  at  heart  yours  and  your  mother's  happi 
ness,  and  that  I  would  not  try  to  take  a  particle  from  you, 
and  so  you  must  view  in  the  right  spirit  my  motive;  and 
you  must  not  think,  '  Oh,  he  is  a  priest  and  is  over  proper  in 
his  ideas  about  these  things/  for  I  know  the  world  and  God 
has  conferred  upon  me  the  gift  of  reading  men's  hearts. 
Now,  good-by,  my  godchild,  and  may  God  keep  harm  from 
you." 


CHAPTER  L 

ESPINOSA    BRINGS    BROOKS    TO     TIME 

MANUEL  ESPINOSA  had  remained  in  St.  Agnes  since  he 
threw  down  the  gauntlet  to  Brooks,  performing  in  a  per 
functory  way  his  duties  as  local  manager  of  the  affairs  of 
El  Roblar  Vie  jo.  He  spent  a  part  of  his  time  on  the 
rancho  and  most  of  it  in  town.  He  seemed  to  want  to  be  in 
constant  touch  with  Sigismund,  who  had  a  wonderfully 
strengthening  influence  on  his  spirit  and  backbone.  The 
time  had  come  for  the  settlement  of  the  law  issues  in  the 
suits  in  which  Herman  was  interested  and  the  one  brought 
by  General  Peters.  As  the  judge  was  related  within  the 
disqualifying  degrees  of  consanguinity  to  the  Castanos,  he 
called  in  a  clear-headed  Irish  American  on  the  Los  Angeles 
bench  who  decided  the  principal  points  in  dispute  in  favor 
of  Herman's  contention,  but  awarded  Brooks  a  temporary 
victory  over  Peters  by  sustaining  his  demurrer  to  the  com 
plaint  on  the  ground  of  its  uncertainty  and  ambiguity.  The 
morning  after  the  decision  on  the  questions  of  law,  Herman 
received  a  telegram  from  Howells  counseling  him  to  im 
mediately  file  his  suit  for  Mrs.  Valenzuela  and  serve  Brooks 
with  a  summons  while  he  was  in  St.  Agnes.  This  he  did  at 
once,  as  the  complaint  was  already  prepared.  The  same 
day  Espinosa  received  the  following  letter  from  Michael 
Reese: 

"  I  am  in  need  of  a  confidential  secretary,  familiar  with 
the  Spanish  and  English  languages,  able  to  carry  on  corre 
spondence  in  each  and  translate  legal  and  state  papers  from 
Spanish  into  English,  as  well  as  having  had  some  training 
in  the  conduct  of  commercial  affairs.  I  am  informed  by  a 
friend  that  you  possess  the  necessary  qualifications  and  I 
would  be  glad  to  employ  you,  at  a  salary,  say,  of  two  hun 
dred  dollars  per  month.  Let  me  have  a  prompt  reply,  as  it 
is  necessary  for  me  to  know  at  once  if  I  can  obtain  your 
services." 

456 


ESPINOSA  BRINGS  BROOKS  TO  TIME       457 

Espinosa  recalled  the  words  of  Sigismund  and  knew  that 
this  was  the  letter  with  which  to  assault  Brooks,  and  he 
immediately  hunted  him  up.  He  found  him  in  his  room 
at  the  hotel.  He  had  been  reading  the  complaint  in  the 
Valenzuela  case  just  served  upon  him  and  his  face  was  very 
gray  and  he  met  Espinosa  with  his  most  incisive  metallic 
smile.  Espinosa  sat  down  and  threw  upon  the  table  the 
letter  from  Reese,  telling  him  he  could  read  it.  Brooks 
perused  it  and  sat  looking  at  Espinosa  a  moment  or  two, 
his  eyes  appearing  to  the  subject  of  their  gaze  as  if  they 
were  boring  holes  into  his  thoughts. 

"  And  have  you  decided  upon  your  reply  to  this  offer  ?  " 
he  finally  said. 

"  It  depends  upon  your  action  what  I  do.  If  you  settle 
with  me  upon  the  terms  I  proposed,  I  shall  decline  his  offer 
and  continue  to  devote  myself  to  your  affairs  and  endeavor 
to  be  of  use  to  you  in  your  litigation.  If  you  decline  my 
offer,  or  if  the  settlement  is  not  made  and  money  paid  at 
once,  I  will  place  my  services  at  his  disposal." 

Brooks  withdrew  his  auger-like  gaze,  arose  and  walked 
up  and  down  the  room  for  a  moment;  then  turning  to  Es 
pinosa,  said  in  a  tone  that  had  something  of  the  cocking 
of  a  pistol  in  it: 

"  Manuel,  I  had  already  made  up  my  mind  what  to  do  in 
reference  to  the  exaction  you  have  made  upon  me,  before 
this  letter  was  sprung  by  you.  But  before  I  answer  you, 
I  wish  to  know  one  thing.  You  understand,  as  well  as  I, 
why  that  skinflint  wants  your  services.  He  is  not  in  the 
habit  of  offering  two  hundred  dollars  a  month  salary  for 
clerical  work,  but  he  expects  to  buy  with  it  your  personal 
knowledge  of  my  affairs.  In  other  words,  it  is  the  price  of 
treachery.  Are  you  prepared  to  accept  his  bribe  and  de 
liver  the  goods  ?  " 

"  The  offer  specifically  states  the  services  required.  These 
I  am  ready  to  perform.  You  are,  as  I  often  say,  most 
shrewd,  Mr.  Brooks;  but  from  your  intimation,  you  do  not 
know  me  yet.  I  am  not  a  fool,  though  I  have  nearly  ap 
proached  being  one  in  your  employment.  Although  I 
might  claim  some  justification  in  betraying  you,  I  do  not 
propose  to  commit  suicide  by  playing  the  role  of  a  betrayer 
of  secrets  connected  with  business,  of  my  employment  and 


458  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

violation  of  confidence.  There  is  a  difference  between  be 
ing  a  neutral  —  or  an  enemy,  if  you  will  —  and  a  traitor." 

"  Well/'  said  Mr.  Brooks,  "  I  have  decided  to  give  you  the 
sum  you  demand;  and  to  go  further,  to  obligate  myself  to 
pay  you  half  as  much  more  in  case  you  are  a  favorable 
witness  for  me  and  I  win  the  suits  affecting  El  Roblar 
Viejo;  upon  condition,  however,  that  you  first  answer  un 
der  oath  the  questions  I  shall  dictate  to  you  concerning  the 
subjects  of  the  litigation  and  that  these  answers  I  find  of 
value  to  me." 

"  Dictate  your  questions  and  I  will  answer  them  and  will 
swear  to  them,  upon  payment  of  the  money,"  replied  Espin- 
osa. 

The  deposition  when  made  apparently  satisfied  Mr. 
Brooks,  as  he  handed  to  Espinosa  a  check  for  the  five 
thousand  dollars,  and  a  memorandum  of  his  promise  of 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars  more  on  the  conditions  he  had 
named. 

Brooks,  now  anxious  to  have  the  cases  tried  and  the  cloud 
removed  from  the  company's  title  to  the  rancho,  did  not  put 
in  any  dilatory  plea,  but  prepared  and  filed  his  answer  at 
once,  and,  by  consent,  an  early  day  was  fixed  for  the  trial 
of  all  the  cases  in  which  Herman  was  counsel.  Brooks 
asked  that  the  ejectment  suit  against  Olivera  be  first  dis 
posed  of,  to  be  followed  by  the  trial  of  the  Valenzuela  case, 
and  ending  with  that  of  Antonio  Castanos.  Herman  made 
no  objection  to  this;  it  was  in  fact  the  order  in  which  he 
was  anxious  to  have  them  tried.  Brooks  realized  that  it 
was  of  the  utmost  importance  to  have  the  testimony  of 
Peters  and  Pedro  and  that  it  should  be  strongly  in  his 
favor,  in  both  the  Valenzuela  and  the  Antonio  actions ;  and, 
however  bitter  a  pill  it  was  to  him,  he  had  reconciled  him 
self  to  the  necessity  of  paying  some  cash  to  obtain  it.  Be 
cause  of  his  attitude  in  the  matter  of  the  railroad  subsidy 
scheme,  he  had  ingratiated  himself  with  one  of  the  large 
rancheros,  who  was  an  ardent  and  uncompromising  advocate 
of  the  subsidy,  and  through  him  he  laid  the  wires  to  a 
compromise  with  General  Peters.  The  ranchero  readily 
undertook  the  mission.  He  saw  Peters  and  his  attorneys 
and  pointed  out  to  them  the  improbability  of  their  being  able 
to  recover  any  substantial  amount,  if  anything  whatever, 


ESPINOSA  BRINGS  BROOKS  TO  TIME       459 

in  the  absence  of  a  written  contract  of  employment  and 
stated  to  them  that  he  felt  sure  that  Brooks,  if  approached 
in  a  proper  way,  would  pay  a  reasonable  sum  for  what  the 
General  had  done  in  his  interest.  Circumstances  were  fav 
orable  to  a  treaty  with  the  General,  as  he  had  been  for  some 
time  past  devoting  himself  to  the  fire-waters  and  the  gaming 
tables  of  St.  Agnes  which  had  exhausted  what  accumulation 
of  tolls  from  visitors  to  his  ranch-house  he  had  brought 
down  with  him ;  and  he  was  not  in  condition  to  return  to  his 
robber's  roost  and  brave  its  .demons.  So  he  consented  to  be 
bought  off  by  the  payment  of  a  comparatively  small  sum 
in  cash  and  a  considerable  contingent  fee.  He  settled  per 
sonally  with  Brooks,  with  the  intention  of  letting  his  at 
torneys  get  their  dues  if  ever  out  of  the  contingent  fund. 
To  his  great  discomfiture,  General  Donaldson  had  antici 
pated  just  such  a  course  of  action  on  the  part  of  his  client, 
and,  watching  his  movements,  waylaid  him  after  he  had  re 
ceived  the  cash.  He  suggested  to  him  the  propriety  of 
dividing.  Peters  at  first  demurred;  but  upon  receiving  a 
dart  from  his  military  advocate's  eye  which  had  in  it  some 
thing  of  an  incipient  cavalry  charge  —  accompanied  with 
the  fearful  threat  that  he  would  sit  upon  him  —  with  as 
good  grace  as  possible,  disgorged  what  he  claimed  was  a 
fourth,  but  in  reality  an  eighth  part  of  what  he  had  received. 

Espinosa  was  delegated  by  his  master  to  handle  Pedro 
Castanos.  He  too  was  in  a  condition  when  he  had  to  decide 
which  of  the  three  alternatives  he  would  be  compelled  to 
resort  to:  begging,  borrowing  or  stealing.  When  first  ap 
proached,  he  assumed  an  attitude  of  indignation  and  scorn  at 
an  offer  to  wipe  out  with  money  the  insults  that  had  been 
cast  upon  him.  After  due  assertion  of  his  dignity  and 
chivalry  as  a  gentleman  of  noble  lineage,  he  allowed  himself 
to  be  convinced  that  he  was  making  no  surrender  of  his 
pride,  and  settled  upon  the  same  basis  as  did  Peters.  When 
subsequently  bantered  by  Sigismund  and  his  memory  re 
freshed  concerning  the  contemptuous  indignities  he  had  re 
ceived  from  Brooks,  he  said,  with  a  malicious  look  in  his 
eye: 

"  Senor  Sigismund  mi  recuerdo  muy  bien;  espere,  espere. 
I  took  nothing  from  him  but  money  he  owed  me ;  the  reckon 
ing  for  his  insults  will  come  later.  Espere/' 


460  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Having  made  peace  with  his  witnesses  and  coached  them 
to  his  satisfaction,  Mr.  Brooks  returned  to  San  Francisco, 
leaving  Espinosa  to  watch  Peters  and  Pedro  and  keep  them 
in  the  traces  until  the  day  of  the  trial. 

Herman  had  his  hands  full  in  the  meanwhile  preparing 
his  cases,  and  at  the  same  time  fighting  the  railroad  subsidy. 
He  took  great  interest  in  the  case  of  El  Erizo,  and  sought 
evidence  far  and  near  as  to  the  original  monuments  of  the 
ranches  whose  lines  formed  the  boundaries  of  the  sobrante, 
and  as  to  the  conferring  of  juridical  possession.  He  had 
received  a  report  from  Howells  which  elated  him  greatly 
and  made  him  feel  confident  of  winning  the  other  two 
suits. 

A  short  time  after  Mr.  Brooks'  return  to  San  Fran 
cisco  the  following  news  item  appeared  in  the  city  pa 
pers: 

"  A  fire,  insignificant  in  volume  but  destructive  in  effect,, 
broke  out  in  the  offices  of  Mr.  Brooks,  of  Barter  &  Brooks, 
which  destroyed  some  valuable  papers  that  cannot  be  re 
placed.  It  seems  that  Mr.  Brooks  had  taken  some  docu 
ments  from  his  safe  and  spread  them  out  on  his  table. 
While  examining  one  minutely,  he  absent-mindedly  laid 
down  his  cigar,  the  lighted  end  touching  the  frayed  edges 
of  an  inflammable  old  title  paper.  There  not  being  light 
enough  to  decipher  the  faint  characters  of  the  instrument  he 
was  examining,  he  took  it  to  the  window.  In  a  few  minutes 
he  was  startled  by  the  crackling  of  burning  papers,  and 
turning,  he  discovered  the  documents  were  ablaze." 

Espinosa  had  been  in  a  very  nervous  condition  since  he  had 
delivered  to  his  purchaser  his  sworn  statement  and  seemed 
to  grow  more  uneasy  and  restless  every  day,  and  it  must  be 
said  that  he  received  no  comfort  from  Sigismund.  The  lat 
ter  had  been  pitying  him  for  the  ordeal  he  would  be  obliged 
to  go  through  on  the  witness  stand.  As  soon  as  he  read  the 
account  of  the  fire  he  hurried  with  it  to  Sigismund  and 
showed  it  to  him. 

"  How  do  you  interpret  that  ?  "  he  said.  "  Do  you  be 
lieve  such  an  accident  could  happen  to  Brooks  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know;  it  might.  What  do  you  believe?  "  re 
plied  Sigismund;  "you  ought  to  know  his  ways." 

"Never,"   said   Espinosa;   "this  is  either  an  imaginary 


ESPINOSA  BRINGS  BROOKS  TO  TIME       461 

fire  reported  by  Brooks,  for  a  purpose,  or  he  made  it  himself 
to  get  some  compromising  papers  out  of  the  way." 

"  Now,  do  you  not  think,  Don  Manuel,  that  you  are  in 
rather  dangerous  company  ?  As  I  have  hinted  to  you  before, 
you  may  be  inextricably  compromised  by  your  testimony  in 
the  Castafios  cases.  You  may  rest  assured  that  your  es 
timable  employer  will  lead  you  into  a  trap  and  make  you 
his  scapegoat,  if  he  can.  He  will  not  let  your  holding  him 
up  for  five  thousand  dollars  go  unatoned  for." 

"  It  is  a  dangerous  position  I  am  in;  I  realize  it  as  well 
as  you.  But  what  should  I  do  ?  " 

"  Wait  until  a  day  or  two  before  the  trial,  and  then  leave 
the  country.  Take  the  little  capital  you  have  and  go  to 
Mexico.  With  your  experience  you  should  be  able  to  build 
a  fortune  on  it.  I  would  not  advise  you  to  do  this  if  I  did 
not  know  the  one  you  are  deserting  is  the  worst  enemy  you 
have;  and  he  would  cut  your  throat  without  the  slightest 
compunction  when  through  using  you." 

"  You  are  right,  amigo,  and  I  shall  take  your  advice. 
Indeed,  it  would  be  idiotic  for  me  to  appear  at  these  trials. 
I  will  leave  it  to  you  to  keep  me  advised  as  how  best  to  safe 
guard  and  realize  my  stock,  if  you  will  do  as  much  for  one 
who  can  be  grateful  and  loyal  to  a  friend  as  treacherous  to 
an  enemy." 

Saying  which  he  went  away,  relieved  of  the  greater  part 
of  the  dread  that  had  been  tormenting  him.  He  returned 
in  a  day  or  two  and  showed  Sigismund  a  letter  he  had  re 
ceived  from  Brooks  asking  him  to  come  to  the  city  at  once. 
He  said  in  the  letter  that  he  had  had  the  misfortune  of 
losing  some  important  papers  by  an  accidental  fire  in  his 
office;  that  the  incident  had  caused  his  eccentric  clerk  to 
discharge  himself,  declaring  that  he  could  not  afford  to  re 
main  in  an  office  where  fires  occurred,  and  risk  his  being 
accused  of  arson. 

"  Well,"  said  Sigismund,  "  you  had  better  go  up  at  once 
and  prove  your  devotion  up  to  the  time  you  leave  him  to  his 
fate." 

Herman  was  a  passenger  on  the  same  steamer  that  took 
Espinosa  to  the  city,  having  been  summoned  by  Howells  to  a 
conference.  He  had,  in  getting  off,  been  detained  by  busi 
ness  until  the  final  moment  and  was  the  last  one  to  run  up 


462  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the  gangway.  When  he  went  to  his  stateroom  he  found 
a  considerable  part  of  it  occupied  with  a  rifle  and  shot-gun, 
fishing  rod,,  a  fagot  of  sticks  and  umbrella  and  a  huge  valise 
with  J.  S.  in  large  characters  on  both  ends.  Having  found 
a  corner  for  his  own  bag,  he  went  up  to  the  upper  deck 
to  watch  the  retreating  shore  and  the  shapes  upon  it  growing 
dim  and  disappearing  in  the  ghostly  moonlight,  and  to  in 
dulge  the  poetry  of  his  melancholy  in  softened  recollection 
of  that  gray  Sunday  and  in  dreams  of  the  future  through 
which  still  ran  scarcely  perceptible  a  golden  thread  of  hope. 
As  he  reached  the  deck,  in  addition  to  the  smoke-stacks,  a 
strange  figure  appeared  in  the  steamer's  bow,  from  which 
a  cloud  of  gray  smoke  ascended  mingling  with  the  black 
breathings  from  the  ship's  chimneys.  On  approaching  he 
recognized  the  person  of  John  Stuart  seated  upon  a  coil  of 
rope  with  his  belching  pipe  in  his  mouth,  feeling  his  biceps. 

"Why,  my  dear  Stuart!  How  are  you?  "  said  Herman. 
"By  what  happy  circumstance  are  you  aboard?  What 
kind  of  game  have  you  scented  up  north  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  headed  for  sport,"  replied  John  Stuart. 
"  My  guns  and  my  rod,  like  myself,  have  many  dull  days 
before  them.  No  more  Sunday  shooting  or  fishing  for 
many  dreary  days  to  come.  The  Governor  has  declared 
a  truce  and  sent  me  a  letter  of  credit  with  his  last  bundle 
of  tracts,  and  I  am  bound  for  Liverpool." 

"  And  you  were  going  away  without  a  parting  word  to 
your  old  friends  ?  " 

"  I  had  not  exactly  the  heart  for  it.  You  see  I'm  awk 
ward  in  expressing  myself  and  I  don't  know  exactly  what 
to  say  to  fellows  I  like  when  I  am  going  to  leave  them  for 
good;  and  I  knew  I  would  make  a  d — d  ass  of  myself,  if 
I  let  them  know  I  was  striking  my  tent.  So  I  said  nothing, 
packed  up,  wrote  a  note  to  you  and  to  one  or  two  of  the 
other  boys  and  sent  them  with  some  of  the  Governor's  most 
powerful  tracts,  and  came  aboard." 

"  And  what  have  you  done  with  the  merry  Irish  girl 
whose  heart  you  were  wont  to  thrill  with  the  sweet  notes  of 
'  Kathleen  Mavourneen  '  ?  Have  you  filled  the  void  in  her 
heart  with  a  P.  P.  C.  card  and  your  Governor's  tracts?  " 

John  Stuart  gripped  his  biceps  viciously,  and  sent  forth 
a  volume  from  his  meerschaum  that  for  a  moment  screened 


ESPINOSA  BRINGS  BROOKS  TO  TIME       463 

the  moon  from  view  and  cast  a  shadow  on  the  deck,  and 
growled  from  the  cloud  that  enveloped  him: 

"  She  ran  off  with  a  long-legged,  brindle-headed  Mis- 
sourian  who  couldn't  tell  a  cow-bell  from  a  cornet  or  an 
Irish  ballad  from  an  Indian  warwhoop  and  was  married  by 
a  camp-meeting  howler.  And  she  had  the  impudence  to 
write  me  that  out  of  affection  for  me  she  had  presented  the 
preacher  with  a  bundle  of  my  Governor's  tracts." 


CHAPTER  LI 

TRIALS    OF    EL    ROBLAR    VIEJO    CASES    BEGIN 

THE  evening  before  the  trial  of  the  first  of  the  series  of 
suits  affecting  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho,  Sigismund  and 
Herman  dined  together.  The  latter  was  in  excellent  spirits. 
He  had  come  back  from  his  interview  with  Howells  elated 
over  certain  evidence  the  detective  had  been  able  to  secure 
for  him  and  was  satisfied  with  his  work  in  the  preparation 
of  the  cases.  Sigismund  was  wonderfully  pleased  with  his 
own  accomplishments  in  what  he  termed  the  pursuit  of  the 
freebooters.  He  had  taken  no  small  part  in  the  inquisition 
of  Herman's  witnesses  and  had  been  of  great  assistance  to 
him.  At  the  same  time  he  had  devoted  himself  to  disabling 
the  witnesses  on  the  other  side.  He  had  deviled  the  life 
out  of  Pedro,  congratulating  him  upon  his  Christian  charity 
in  swallowing  his  pride,  forgiving  Brooks  and  becoming 
his  servant  once  more;  and  advised  him  in  the  presence  of 
Gen.  Peters  to  make  his  noble  sacrifice  complete  by  kissing 
in  public  the  hand  that  Sancho  had  impaled  with  his  teeth. 
He  also  told  Gen.  Donaldson  confidentially  that  it  might 
be  well  for  his  own  reputation,  as  he  had  acted  as  attorney 
for  Gen.  Peters,  to  caution  his  client  about  reckless  talking 
on  the  witness  stand,  and  advise  him  to  refresh  his  mem 
ory  and  weigh  his  words  well  when  questioned  about  any 
written  instruments  he  had  to  do  with ;  that  several  traps  had 
been  set  and  he  might  get  his  head  in  one  of  them.  He  had 
done  all  this  so  quietly,  so  shrewdly,  so  diplomatically,  that 
even  the  cunning  of  Brooks  had  not  detected  him  in  giving 
aid  to  the  enemy.  In  fact  he  thought  that  Sigismund  had 
swallowed  the  bait  thrown,  in  the  shape  of  an  offer  of  em 
ployment  at  a  good  salary  by  the  company  which  proposed 
to  buy  El  Roblar  Viejo,  and  that  his  efforts  would  necessarily 
be  with  the  company's  interests,  to  free  the  property  from 
clouds  that  obstructed  its  transfer.  The  two  friends  had 

464 


EL  ROBLAR  VIEJO  CASES  BEGIN          465 

fled  the  publicity  of  the  St.  Louis  and  chosen  for  their 
tete-a-tete  dinner  and  confidential  talk,  a  snug  room  in  a 
little  restaurant  just  opened  by  a  Frenchman  with  a  hooked 
nose  and  jet  black  moustache  and  imperial  who  could  have 
posed  for  the  portrait  of  Napoleon  III.  As  they  drained 
the  last  drop  of  their  chartreuse  and  lit  their  cigars,  Herman 
said: 

"  Suppose  we  take  some  of  our  good  spirits  to  Seiiora  Val- 
enzuela  and  the  fair  Carmelita,  and  brighten  their  hopes  for 
the  success  of  the  coming  contests.  It  is  not  yet  too  late  for 
a  friendly  call." 

Sigismund  expressed  his  pleasure  at  the  proposal,  and 
they  strolled  over  to  the  Valenzuela  home.  As  they  drew 
near,  they  heard  the  voices  of  a  man  and  woman  in  con 
versation  and  recognized  them  as  Carmelita's  and  Stanley's ; 
and,  in  the  surrounding  stillness,  their  words  could  be  plainly 
distinguished : 

"  I  fear,  Mr.  Stanley,  you  are  a  great  flirt  —  that  you 
have  had  many  novias;  that  you  soon  tire  of  one,  and  then 
find  another  and  tire  of  her;  and  you  repeat  the  same 
pretty  compliments  to  the  one  that  you  make  to  the  other. 
You  need  not  think  that  I  take  in  earnest  what  you  say  to 
me.  I  am  too  wise  for  that,  if  I  have  not  seen  anything  of 
the  world,"  said  Carmelita. 

"  Indeed,  I  do  mean  every  word  I  say,  Sefiorita  Carmelita, 
and  I  will  show  you  how  devoted  I  can  be.  And  you  will 
learn  to  know  that  when  I  say  that  there  is  no  one  here 
whose  charms  compare  with  yours,  whose  natural  grace  is 
so  exquisite  and  beauty  so  refined,  it  comes  in  sincerity  from 
my  heart.  You  will  find  that  there  is  nothing  that  I  will  not 
do  to  give  you  pleasure,"  replied  Stanley. 

Here  they  discovered  Sigismund  and  Herman  approach 
ing,  and  Stanley  said  good-night  and  abruptly  took  his  de 
parture  and  Carmelita  ran  into  the  house.  Senora  Valen 
zuela  had  not  retired,  and  received  her  guests  with  a  gentle 
welcome.  The  hopefulness  of  Herman  about  the  case  and 
the  prediction  by  Sigismund  of  success  brightened  her  and 
brought  life  to  her  face  and  spirit  to  her  conversation. 

"  But,  my  dear  Miss  Carmelita,"  said  Herman,  "  you 
must  beware  of  Mr.  Stanley.  He  is  not  our  friend.  I 
noticed  he  was  talking  with  you  as  we  came  up.  He  is 


466  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

in  frequent  confidential  conferences  with  Brooks  and  holds 
what  was  Pedro's  share  of  the  Company's  stock.  You  must 
not  confide  anything  about  the  case  to  him.  Rest  assured 
he  would  repeat  it  to  the  other  side." 

"  You  do  him  wrong,  Mr.  Thomas/'  replied  Carmelita, 
evidently  piqued  at  Herman's  words.  "  He  has  offered  to 
do  anything  in  his  power  to  help  us  and  said  that  it  was  a 
great  wrong  for  the  Company  to  try  hold  our  interest." 

"  I  beg  of  you  not  to  trust  him.  I  have  evidence  that 
he  is  giving  aid  to  the  enemy.  But  even  if  I  am  mistaken, 
I  urge  you  to  be  prudent  and  tell  him  nothing.  You  will 
then  be  safe." 

"  I  have  cautioned  Carmelita,"  said  her  mother,,  "  to  have 
no  intercourse  with  this  gentleman.  I  do  not  like  his  ap 
pearance.  He  does  not  seem  sincere.  He  has  been  very 
kind  in  purchasing  at  a  good  price  some  of  my  work,  and  is 
pleasant  in  his  address;  but  I  do  not  wish  Carmelita  to  re 
ceive  any  attention  from  him,  and  I  do  not  like  his  calling 
upon  her.  She,  however,  thinks  I  am  old  and  prejudiced 
and  know  nothing  about  the  ways  of  American  young  men." 

"  Indeed,  Miss  Carmelita,"  said  Herman,  "  your  mother 
is  right  in  this.  I  know  she  is." 

"  I  shall  say  nothing  to  him  about  our  case,"  replied  Car 
melita  rather  curtly  and  then  excused  herself  and  left  the 
room.  Herman  and  Sigismund  went,  after  leaving  Senora 
Valenzuela,  to  the  St.  Louis.  On  the  porch  they  saw  Stanley 
and  Espinosa  in  earnest  conversation. 

"  I  wonder,"  remarked  Herman,  "  if  Carmelita  has  been 
foolish  enough  to  tell  Stanley  anything  about  her  case; 
although  what  she  knows  is  very  little  and  no  more  than 
what  Brooks  probably  is  aware  of." 

"  Have  no  fears,"  said  Sigismund.  "  There  is  one  thing 
certain,  you  will  not  be  hurt  by  Espinosa  and  what  of  am 
munition  he  may  have." 

The  trial  of  the  ejectment  suit  against  El  Erizo  con 
sumed  the  following  day.  Brooks  rested  upon  the  final 
survey  in  the  patent,  and  claimed  that  it  could  not  be 
questioned  or  gone  back  of.  His  principal  witness  was  the 
United  States  deputy  surveyor  by  whom  it  was  made,  and 
who  testified  that  the  land  claimed  by  El  Erizo  was  within 
its  boundaries.  Upon  cross-examination,  he  admitted  that 


EL  ROBLAR  VIEJO  CASES  BEGIN          467 

in  locating  the  Piedra  Pintada,  a  monument  called  for  in 
the  original  grant,  he  had  been  guided  by  the  evidence  of 
Pedro  Castanos  and  one  or  two  others,  and  that  another 
rock  similar  in  color  which  he  was  questioned  about,  taken 
as  the  monument,  would  make  the  survey  more  nearly  con 
form  to  the  original  diseno.  Herman  contended  that  the 
grant  and  accompanying  diseno  or  plat  referred  to  in  the 
patent  could  be  considered,  in  the  ascertainment  of  the  lines 
of  the  rancho;  in  which  the  court  sustained  him.  He  proved 
the  custom  to  display  springs  and  water  sources  on  disenos 
of  colonization  grants  —  there  being  no  evidence  of  such  on 
the  diseno  of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho, —  and  produced  one 
of  the  witnesses  present  at  the  juridical  possession  given  to 
the  original  grantees  of  the  rancho,  who  declared  that  the 
rock  described  in  the  final  survey  was  not  the  Piedra  Pintada 
called  for  in  the  grant;  that  the  rock  contended  for  by  El 
Erizo  was  the  true  monument,  and  that  the  disputed  territory 
was  not  included  within  the  lines  of  the  land  of  which 
juridical  possession  was  given.  A  number  of  other  wit 
nesses,  old  residents,  testified  that  the  monument  designated 
in  the  final  survey  was  not  the  Piedra  Pintada  referred  to 
in  the  grant  and  that  the  tract  in  question  had  always  been 
recognized  as  belonging  to  El  Erizo  and  his  predecessors, 
as  owners  of  the  sobrante  grant  and  had  always  been  in 
their  possession.  Pedro  Castailos'  evidence  was  anything 
but  satisfactory  for  the  plaintiff.  While  holding  to  his 
former  statement  that  the  monument  pointed  out  by  him 
to  the  surveyor  was  the  true  Piedra  Pintada,  he  gave  no 
other  reason  for  it  than  it  was  his  impression  and  that  of 
one  or  two  other  natives,  who  weakly  corroborated  him, 
that  such  was  the  case.  His  attention  had  never  been 
drawn  to  the  question  of  its  location  in  reference  to  any  con 
troversy  as  to  lines  until  the  present  suit  and  he  simply 
knew  it  as  a  land-mark  bearing  the  name.  The  case  lasted 
during  the  day  and  was  submitted  without  argument,  the 
judge  reserving  his  decision.  Brooks,  as  he  walked  with 
Espinosa  to  the  hotel  after  the  trial,  was  extremely  distrait, 
and  Espinosa  detected  the  anger  hidden  from  observation  of 
all  but  those  who  had  felt  its  stinging  darts  and  waited  to 
see  it  vent  itself.  Suddenly  he  turned  to  Espinosa  and  said : 
"  Fine  witnesses  you  produced  in  Pedro  and  his  weak- 


468  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

kneed  associates.  You  must  feel  proud  of  your  work. 
Any  loafing  greaser  could  have  groomed  them  better;  and 
yet  you  bragged  of  having  made  of  Pedro  an  obedient  peon 
that  would  do  and  say  anything  he  was  directed." 

"  Well,  did  he  not  stick  to  his  story  about  the  monument  ?  " 
replied  Espinosa. 

"  Yes,  but  in  such  a  way  as  to  convince  the  judge  that  he 
was  either  lying  or  did  not  know  anything  about  it.  His 
manner,  to  me,  had  all  the  signs  of  sullen  treachery,  and  I 
do  not  trust  him  in  to-morrow's  case.  You  must  see  him  at 
once  and  impress  upon  him  the  importance  of  his  being  pos 
itive  and  aggressive  in  his  testimony  concerning  the  ex 
ecution  and  delivery  of  the  deed  of  Don  Jose  to  the  company 
and  the  surrounding  circumstances.  Tell  him  that  you  will 
buy  my  obligation  given  him  as  a  contingent  fee  the  mo 
ment  the  trial  is  over,  if  his  evidence  is  of  the  right  kind. 
You  must  know,  Manuel,  that  to-morrow's  fight  will  be  no 
child's  play.  You  have  seen  the  thoroughness  with  which 
Thomas  had  prepared  and  tried  to-day's  case,  and  you  can 
rest  assured  that  he  has  given  greater  work  to  what  is  to 
come.  Mark  this,  too;  your  own  reputation  as  well  as  your 
pecuniary  profit  depends  on  your  own  words  and  attitude 
on  the  witness-stand." 

"  I  know  pretty  well  what  to-morrow's  battle  means," 
said  Espinosa  quietly,  "  and  I  am  not  so  much  alarmed  as 
you  about  it.  My  testimony  will  not  weaken  the  case  for 
you,  be  assured  of  that.  I  have  my  wits  about  me  and 
know  almost  as  well  as  you  how  to  protect  myself." 

The  steamer  south  from  San  Francisco  to  San  Diego  came 
into  St.  Agnes  that  evening  after  dark,  and  Herman  was  on 
the  wharf  to  meet  a  party  he  was  expecting  from  the  city. 
He  had  beckoned  him  to  one  side  as  soon  as  he  landed  and 
the  two  stood  where  they  were  least  observed,  waiting 
until  the  passengers  had  disembarked  and  gone  up  town, 
before  they  left  the  wharf.  As  the  boat  was  about  to  re 
turn  to  the  steamer,  two  persons  came  up  to  the  gangway; 
the  one  Herman  recognized  as  Sigismund;  the  other,  who 
was  muffled  in  a  long  overcoat  with  the  lapels  drawn  over 
his  neck  and  a  slouch  hat  pulled  over  his  eyes,  he  did  not 
at  first  know. 

"  Good-by,  old  fellow ;  bon  voyage  and  good  luck.     You 


EL  ROBLAR  VIEJO  CASES  BEGIN          469 

will  be  sadly  missed,  not  only  by  your  friends,  but  oh,  how 
deeply,  by  one  who  has  no  love  for  you." 

"  Adios,  amigo"  was  the  reply.  "  Many  thanks  for  your 
wise  counsel  and  all  you've  done  for  me.  I  shall  not  for 
get  it."  The  voice  was  Espinosa's. 


CHAPTER  LII 

A     DRAMATIC     FIGHT     AND     WATERLOO     FOR     BROOKS 

THE  following  morning  as  Brooks  sat  down  to  breakfast, 
a  note  was  handed  him.  It  was  from  Espinosa  and  was  to 
the  effect  that  he  had  gone  out  on  an  important  matter  con 
nected  with  the  day's  trial,  and  would  be  on  hand  before 
the  time  he  was  needed. 

Great  popular  interest  was  taken  in  the  trial.  Brooks 
had  cunningly  created  a  prejudice  in  his  favor  among  the 
advocates  of  the  subsidy,  many  of  whom  honestly  believed 
that  it  was  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  heirs  to  get 
back  without  restitution  what  had  been  sold  in  good  faith 
by  their  ancestor  and  paid  for.  Besides,  he  had  the  reputa 
tion  of  being  an  astute  and  adroit  lawyer  and  many  were 
curious  to  witness  his  conduct  of  the  case.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  sympathy  of  the  native  population,  especially  of 
the  better  and  more  substantial  class  was  with  the  plaintiff. 
The  consequence  was  that  the  courtroom  was  crowded.  It 
took  no  longer  than  half  an  hour  to  present  the  plaintiff's 
case.  Herman  introduced  the  patent  of  the  rancho  and 
deraigned  the  title  from  this  source  to  Sefiora  Valenzuela 
of  one-third  the  rancho,  except  the  portion  granted  to 
Brooks  as  compensation  for  services,  and  then  rested  his 
case.  Mr.  Brooks  opened  the  defense  by  offering  in  evi 
dence  a  certified  copy  from  the  records  of  the  deed  pur 
porting  to  be  from  Jose  Castanos  to  El  Roblar  Viejo  Com 
pany  of  his  interest  in  the  rancho.  This  was  objected  to  by 
Herman,  who  demanded  the  production  of  the  original,  he 
having  previously  served  notice  on  the  attorney  to  produce 
it.  Brooks  then  offered  to  prove  the  loss  of  the  original 
and  himself  took  the  witness  stand.  He  testified  that  the 
deed,  after  its  execution  and  recordation,  had  been  delivered 
to  him  by  Manuel  Espinosa,  the  secretary  of  the  company; 
that  he  placed  it  with  his  other  papers  of  value  in  his  office 
safe,  where  it  had  remained  until  recent  date.  He  then  re- 

470 


WATERLOO  FOR  BROOKS  471 

lated  the  incident  of  the  fire  and  the  destruction  of  certain 
instruments  about  as  it  had  been  reported  in  the  newspapers. 
After  which  he  produced  a  charred  piece  of  legal-cap  paper 
that  he  said  was  what  remained  of  the  deed.  Nearly  all 
the  body  of  the  instrument  was  preserved,  but  the  attesta 
tion  clause  and  the  signatures  and  notary's  certificate  were 
apparently  destroyed.  Herman  examined  him  closely  about 
the  deed,  its  execution  and  the  condition  it  was  in  when  he 
received  it.  It  was  in  Spanish,  and  according  to  the  form 
ula  of  the  old  Spanish  conveyances,  except  that  certain  words 
and  phrases  that  made  unquestionable  the  transfer  of  the 
fee,  with  covenant  passing  after  acquired  title,  had  been 
inserted.  The  witness  stated  that  Espinosa  had  prepared 
the  deed,  as  he  had  informed  him,  under  the  direction  of 
Don  Jose  Castaiios.  He  had  not  seen  Jose  Castanos  sign 
it,  but  knew  his  signature  and  rubric  and  was  sure  that  the 
signature  on  the  deed  was  his.  That  the  deed  when  de 
livered  had  been  witnessed  by  Pedro  Castanos  and  Gen. 
Peters,  who  subsequently  acknowledged  it  before  a  notary. 
When  asked  if  he  personally  knew  it  to  be  the  deed  of  Don 
Jose,  apart  from  his  belief  that  the  signature  was  his, 
he  said  that  he  had  had  a  conversation  with  Don  Jose  im 
mediately  after  receiving  the  deed  and  sending  him  the 
stock  in  the  company,  its  consideration,  and  that  the  old 
man  had  said  that  although  he  had  hesitated  at  first  to  convey 
his  interest,  he  was  satisfied  with  what  he  had  done,  that 
it  was  for  the  best.  This  conversation  was  had  while  Don 
Jose  was  alone,  seated  on  his  porch,  immediately  before 
he  took  to  what  proved  to  be  his  death-bed.  Herman  then 
examined  him  minutely  about  the  remnant  of  the  instrument 
he  had  produced,  asked  him  if  he  was  sure  of  the  hand 
writing  being  that  of  Espinosa.  He  declared  that  he  be 
lieved  it  to  be.  "  But  Mr.  Espinosa  can  testify  as  to  this 
himself,"  he  said.  In  reply  to  questions  in  reference  to 
the  fire,  its  origin,  and  his  discovery  of  it,  and  what  other 
instruments  were  destroyed,  he  repeated  his  testimony  in 
chief  and  refused  to  name  the  other  papers,  claiming  that 
they  were  private  documents  not  connected  with  the  business 
of  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company.  He  said  that  the  fire  oc 
curred  after  office  hours;  that  there  was  no  one  except 
himself  present,  and  that  the  outer  office  was  vacant. 


472          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Now,  Mr.  Brooks,"  said  Herman,  "  you  are  positive 
that  the  paper  you  produce  here  is  the  mutilated  deed  you 
say  was  executed  by  Jose  Castanos  and  witnessed  by  Pedro 
Castanos  and  Gen.  Peters  ?  " 

"  I  am  positive,"  he  replied. 

"  And  you  are  equally  positive,"  continued  Herman,  "  that 
the  signatures  and  attestation  clause  were  burned  off  acci 
dentally  by  a  fire  which  originated  without  your  knowledge 
or  aid  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  he  said. 

"  That  is  all,"  said  Herman. 

Brooks  had  during  his  testimony  cast  more  than  one  glance 
over  the  audience,  and  when  he  left  the  stand  he  asked  the 
sheriff  to  call  Manuel  Espinosa.  The  sheriff  called  the 
witness  inside  and  outside  the  courtroom  and  finally  re 
ported  his  inability  to  produce  him.  Mr.  Brooks  then  called 
successively  Gen.  Peters  and  Pedro  Castanos.  Gen.  Peters 
said  he  had  a  slight  recollection  of  his  having  witnessed  a 
deed  of  the  character  referred  to,  but  it  had  not  impressed 
itself  upon  his  memory  and  he  was  not  sure  whether  or  not 
he  had  seen  Jose  sign  his  name;  as  he  was  familiar  with  his 
signature,  he  might  have  witnessed  it  without  having  been 
present  when  he  executed  it.  If  he  were  able  to  examine 
the  signatures,  his  mind  would  doubtless  be  refreshed  and  he 
could  testify  more  positively.  Pedro  took  his  cue  from  Gen. 
Peters,  and  his  evidence  was  not  more  satisfactory.  He 
said  he  was  familiar  with  his  brother  Jose's  signature  and 
would  not  have  witnessed  it,  if  he  had  not  believed  at  the 
time  it  was  his;  that  he  had  not  been  present  when  the  deed 
was  signed  by  Jose. 

"  You  say,"  said  Herman,  "  that  you  believed  at  the 
time  the  signature  was  that  of  your  brother;  did  you  after 
wards  from  further  examination,  have  reason  to  doubt  it?  " 

"  Quien  sabe,"  replied  the  witness,  shrugging  his  shoul 
ders,  "  no  mi  recuerdo  bien.  I  do  not  remember  very  well ; 
it  is  some  time  ago.  If  I  saw  the  signature  I  could  quickly 
tell." 

Mr.  Brooks  then  had  Espinosa  called  again,  and  on  his 
failure  to  appear,  requested  of  the  court  the  privilege  of 
taking  his  testimony  later,  at  the  same  time  asking  that 
the  instrument  be  admitted  in  evidence,  subject  to  subse- 


WATERLOO  FOR  BROOKS  473 

quent  ruling  of  the  court.  Herman,  while  consenting  to 
the  taking  of  Espinosa's  testimony  out  of  order,  objected 
to  the  introduction  of  the  certified  copy  of  the  deed,  stating 
that  he  had  evidence  to  offer  on  the  issue  as  to  the  making 
of  the  pretended  deed  and  its  subsequent  destruction. 
The  court  directed  him  to  proceed  with  his  proof.  Her 
man  examined  Sefiora  Valenzuela,  Carmelita  and  Father 
Aloysius,  and  proved  by  them  the  attempt  made  by  Espinosa 
to  have  Don  Jose  convey  his  interest,  during  his  last  ill 
ness  and  just  prior  to  his  death,  and  his  emphatic  refusal 
to  part  with  it.  They  also  told  of  interviews  between  the 
three  brothers,  when  Pedro  and  Antonio  had  sought  with 
out  success  to  induce  their  brother  to  take  the  same  course 
as  they  had  taken  and  convey  his  share  to  the  company 
in  exchange  for  stock.  He  then  called  Gen.  Peters. 

"  General,"  he  said,  "  your  recollection  is  a  little  dim 
about  the  transaction  concerning  which  you  have  been  ex 
amined  on  behalf  of  the  defendant.  I  think  I  may  be  able 
to  refresh  your  memory.  Have  you  ever  seen  this  certificate 
of  stock  ?  "  handing  him  the  certificate  of  the  shares  in  the 
name  of  Jose  Castanos. 

"Yes,  sah;  that  certificate  was  in  my  custody,  until 
sometime  since,  when  my  recollection  is  I  handed  it  to 
you  with  some  other  private  papers  which  concerned  my 
interests." 

"  How  did  you  originally  obtain  possession  of  it  ?  " 

"  It  was  given  to  be,  sah,  by  Mr.  Brooks,  after  I  had 
witnessed  the  signature  of  Jose  Castafios,  with  the  re 
quest  that  I  hand  it  to  Don  Jose." 

"Did  you  comply  with  this  request?" 

"  No,  sah,  he  got  out  of  my  reach.  He  died  the  next 
day." 

Brooks  did  not  risk  a  cross-examination. 

The  testimony  of  Herman's  witnesses  did  not  seem  to 
make  any  particular  impression  upon  Mr.  Brooks'  nervous 
system  or  cause  him  any  irritation  or  alter  his  keen,  cold, 
crisp  method  of  interrogating  the  witnesses.  There  was  a 
pause  for  a  few  minutes  after  Gen.  Peters  left  the  stand. 
Herman  was  examining  intently  the  charred  deed  and 
seemed  to  be  unconscious  of  the  passage  of  time,  until 
aroused  by  the  court  who  directed  the  counsel  to  proceed 


474  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

with  the  trial,  when  he  turned  suddenly  towards  the  audi 
ence,  saying,  "  Call  Mr.  Squiggler." 

For  once  Mr.  Brooks  lost  his  self-possession  and  betrayed 
his  feelings.  His  face  grew  gray,  his  mouth  twitched  and 
the  cynical  smile  turned  to  furrows  in  his  cheeks  and  he 
darted  a  venomous  glance  at  the  figure  that  arose  from  a 
seat  in  the  rear  of  the  auditorium  where  he  had  sat  during 
the  trial  unobserved,  his  presence  not  having  been  de 
tected  even  by  the  lynx  eyes  of  his  former  employer. 
Indeed,  one  had  to  look  twice  to  recognize  Mr.  Brooks' 
former  clerk  in  the  stylishly  dressed  gentleman  who  walked 
up  briskly  and  took  the  oath  and  seated  himself  in  the  wit 
ness  chair.  The  little  hump  had  disappeared  from  his 
back,  his  figure  was  erect,  a  blonde  moustache  graced  his 
upper  lip,  and  his  features  had  lost  the  comically  set  ex 
pression  that  characterized  them  in  the  chambers  of  Barter 
&  Brooks. 

"  State  your  name,  residence  and  calling,"  said  Herman. 

"  The  name  I  received  from  my  parents  in  England  is 
Victor  Beaumont;  the  name  I  have  borne  during  my  so 
journ  in  this  country  is  Jacob  Squiggler.  I  am  at  present 
a  resident  of  San  Francisco.  I  am  a  trained  accountant, 
scrivener,  hand-writing  expert  and  correspondent  in  several 
languages,  and  have  been  for  a  number  of  years  prior  to 
coming  to  California  acting  as  detective  for  prominent 
banking  institutions  and  commercial  houses  in  London. 
For  the  past  year  I  have  been  in  the  same  employment  in 
San  Francisco." 

'*  Do  you  know  Mr.  Brooks,  the  counsel  for  the  defend 
ant?" 

"  Yes,  I  was  his  clerk  for  nearly  a  year." 

"  Please  look  at  this  paper,"  handing  him  the  remnant 
of  the  deed,  "  and  state  whether  or  not  you  have  seen  it 
before,  and  if  so  when  and  under  what  circumstances." 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  remnant  of  a  paper  that  was  in  Mr. 
Brooks'  safe  for  a  little  while,"  answered  the  witness. 

"  Tell  all  you  know  about  that  paper,  and  the  circum 
stances  connected  with  its  mutilation." 

"  The  paper  was  a  fac-simile  of  what  purported  to  be 
a  deed  of  Jose  Castanos  to  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company. 
It  was  written  by  me  and  placed  in  the  safe  of  Mr, 


WATERLOO  FOR  BROOKS  475 

Brooks  in  place  of  the  original  which  I  withdrew,  and  have 
now  in  my  possession.  Before  it  was  partially  burned  it 
would  have  been  difficult  for  anyone  not  an  expert  to  have 
distinguished  it  from  the  original.  By  holding  it  to  the  light, 
however,  you  will  see  that  the  watermark  of  the  paper  is  a 
date  subsequent  to  the  making  of  the  original  instrument. 
I  withdrew  the  original,  first  for  examination  to  determine 
whether  or  not  it  was  a  forgery;  but  after  the  suit  was 
brought  by  the  heirs  of  the  grantee  for  the  recovery  of  the 
property,  I  knew  that  Mr.  Brooks  would  not  risk  its 
appearance  in  evidence  and  would  take  some  means  to  dis 
pose  of  it.  So  I  made  this  copy  and  retained  the  original. 
I  also  kept  close  watch  upon  his  movements.  I  had  rented 
through  another  the  rooms  above  the  offices  of  Barter  & 
Brooks  and  had  cut  holes  through  the  floors  and  the  ceil 
ing  beneath,  concealed  from  notice,  giving  me  a  view  of 
the  offices  and  enabling  me  to  hear  and  see  what  trans 
pired  in  them.  The  evening  of  the  fire,  I  followed  Mr. 
Brooks  as  he  went  to  his  office,  and  took  my  place  at  the 
observation  point  overhead.  He  looked  into  each  room, 
locked  the  door  of  the  main  office  and  then  locked  himself 
in  his  private  room.  Having  drawn  the  blinds,  he  lit  the 
gas  over  the  center  table,  opened  his  safe,  selected  some 
papers  from  it  and  took  them  to  the  table.  He  burned 
several  documents,  lighting  them  at  the  gas  jet  and  holding 
them  until  they  were  nearly  consumed  and  then  letting  them 
drop  upon  the  table  where  they  burned  out,  scorching  the 
baize  cloth.  The  copy  of  the  Castanos  deed  was  the  last  he 
set  fire  to.  He  used  considerable  care  about  this.  He 
opened  it  and  ignited  the  corner  where  were  the  signatures 
and  after  it  was  partially  burned,  he  extinguished  it  and 
then  held  it  over  the  smouldering  remnants  of  the  other 
papers  until  it  was  discolored  by  the  heat  and  smoke." 

Here  the  witness  paused,  while  he  took  from  his  pocket 
a  large  wallet,  opened  it  leisurely  and  produced  from  it  a 
paper.  During  his  recital  there  was  a  profound  stillness 
in  the  room.  As  he  ceased  speaking,  the  judge,  whose 
eyes  had  been  fastened  upon  the  witness,  turned  a  scorching 
glance  upon  Brooks,  in  which  seemed  mingled  amazement 
and  contempt.  The  latter,  who  had  been  sitting  like  a 
statue  apparently  unconcerned,  caught  and  comprehended 


476  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL' 

the  look  and  turning  suddenly  to  Herman,  said  deliberately, 
but  with  a  quiver  of  passion  in  his  voice,  while  his  face 
became  livid: 

"  And  so  it  required  a  spy,  a  cracksman  and  a  forger 
to  construct  a  case  for  you.  I  denounce  you  as  a  criminal 
conspirator,  a  burglar,  a  forger;  and  I  shall  prosecute  you 
as  such."  Here  the  witness  turned  to  the  judge  and  said 
quietly : 

"  Mr.  Brooks  is  under  a  wrong  impression,  quite  natu 
rally.  While  I  was  in  his  employ,  Mr.  Thomas  only 
knew  me  as  his  clerk.  He  had  nothing  to  do  with  my 
engagement  as  a  detective,  and  did  not  learn  of  any  of 
the  facts  I  have  related  until  quite  recently  and  after  I 
had  left  Mr.  Brooks'  service.  I  came  from  England  at 
the  solicitation  of  Mr.  Howells,  the  distinguished  California 
detective,  and  have  acted  with  him  in  the  endeavor  to 
unearth  certain  frauds  affecting  large  business  interests. 
The  matter  of  this  deed  was  an  independent  thing  which 
I  attended  to  as  a  personal  favor  to  Mr.  Howells.  The 
facts  when  related  by  me  to  Mr.  Thomas  in  the  presence 
of  Mr.  Howells  were  as  great  a  surprise  as  probably  they 
are  to  the  court." 

The  judge  glanced  at  Herman,  who  arose  and  said  that 
what  the  witness  had  stated  was  the  absolute  truth;  that 
while  Mr.  Howells  had  volunteered  his  services  in  finding 
evidence  for  him,  he  had  been  ignorant  of  the  steps  he  had 
taken  to  procure  it  until  just  before  the  trial. 

"  Although,"  he  continued,  "  the  result  shows  that  almost 
any  means  were  justifiable  in  uncovering  such  rascal- 
ity." 

The  witness  handed  Herman  the  paper  he  had  produced, 
saying  that  it  was  the  original  deed  he  had  taken  from  the 
safe.  After  having  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  court 
that  from  training  and  experience  he  was  a  qualified  ex 
pert  in  handwriting,  Herman  examined  the  witness  touching 
the  signature  to  the  instrument.  He  showed  him  a  number 
of  signatures  of  Jose  Castanos  which  he  said  he  would 
identify  later  by  competent  witnesses,  and  Beaumont  de 
clared  emphatically  that  the  name  signed  to  the  deed  was 
not  written  by  the  one  that  had  written  the  other  signatures, 
and  pointed  out  clearly  to  the  court  unmistakable  differences. 


WATERLOO  FOR  BROOKS  477 

He  also  said  that  the  signature  was  not  made  by  the  party 
who  wrote  the  body  of  the  deed. 

"  Do  you  know  from  familiarity  with  the  handwriting 
of  any  other  person,  who  wrote  it?  "  asked  Herman. 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  can  say  who  wrote  it." 

On  the  objection  of  Brooks  the  witness  was  not  allowed 
to  state  who  was  the  signer. 

Brooks'  cross-examination  only  made  more  damaging  the 
witness'  story.  He  sought  by  adroit  maneuvers  to  ascer 
tain  how  extensive  was  the  detective's  knowledge  of  the 
contents  of  his  safe  and  if  he  had  abstracted  or  tampered 
with  other  papers  or  if  he  knew  what  instruments  had  been 
burned.  The  court,  however,  sustained  the  objections  to 
these  attempts,  and  confined  the  witness  to  the  circumstances 
connected  with  the  deed.  Herman  next  identified  as  signa 
tures  of  Jose  Castafios  those  shown  to  Beaumont,  and 
then  called  Gen.  Peters  who  identified  his  signature  as 
witness  to  the  deed.  He  said  he  remembered  then  that  he 
had  not  seen  Jose  sign  the  deed,  and  while  the  signature 
resembled  Jose's,  he  would  not  be  positive  about  it.  Pedro, 
on  being  recalled,  declared  that  the  deed  shown  to  him 
was  the  one  he  had  witnessed  and  that  his  name  as  witness 
had  been  subscribed  by  him.  On  being  requested  to  ex 
amine  the  signature  of  the  grantor  carefully  and  state 
his  opinion  at  the  present  time  as  to  its  authenticity,  he 
said  that  he  had  been  mistaken  when  he  witnessed  it;  that 
it  was  not  the  signature  of  his  brother  Jose.  He  then 
called  attention  to  the  rubric,  which  was  a  broken  pigeon's 
wing,  and  pointed  out  in  the  veritable  signatures  a  little 
flourish  resembling  a  heart  that  appeared  in  the  joint  of 
the  pinion,  and  which  did  not  appear  in  the  deed. 

"  This  is  positive  proof,"  he  said,  "  that  Jose  did  not 
sign  the  deed  himself,  as  he  often  referred  to  this  little 
characteristic  hardly  noticeable,  as  making  it  difficult  to 
imitate  his  signature." 

The  noon  hour  having  arrived,  the  court  here  took  a 
recess  until  afternoon.  Brooks  gathered  up  his  papers 
and  walked  towards  the  hotel.  No  one  offered  to  join  him. 
No  one  spoke  to  him.  As  he  turned  suddenly  to  avoid  a 
group  of  natives,  among  whom  were  Pedro  Castafios  and 
El  Erizo  who  stood  on  the  sidewalk  blocking  the  way, 


478  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

and  staring  at  him,  he  trod  on  Pedro's  dog  who  snarled  and 
bit  at  him  viciously.  The  spectators  laughed.  Arrived  at 
the  hotel,  he  inquired  of  Latour  if  Espinosa  had  been  there. 
Latour  had  not  seen  him  since  the  evening  before.  The 
driver  of  the  omnibus,,  having  overheard  the  inquiry,  in 
formed  the  inquirer  that  Espinosa  had  gone  off  the  night 
before  on  the  steamer  bound  for  San  Diego.  Brooks  stood 
for  a  moment  or  two  as  if  dazed,  his  hand  clutching  the 
corner  of  the  counter,  his  face  drawn  and  livid.  Then  he 
called  for  brandy.  He  poured  the  glass  full  and  drank 
it,  and  refilled  and  emptied  it.  He  then  directed  that  a 
luncheon  be  sent  to  his  room,  where  he  retired  and  re 
mained  till  court  again  convened. 

When  the  judge  opened  the  afternoon  session,  Mr.  Brooks 
was  in  his  seat,  calmly  arranging  his  papers,  without  a 
sign  of  nervousness  or  annoyance  displayed  on  his  features 
or  in  his  manner.  He  arose  and  made  an  application  that 
the  case  might  be  discontinued,  owing  to  the  absence  of 
Espinosa,  which  was  a  surprise  to  him.  The  judge  asked 
if  he  had  been  subpoenaed  as  a  witness  and,  on  his  reply 
ing  that  he  had  not  taken  this  precaution,  as  he  had  volun 
teered  his  testimony  and  was  a  party  in  interest,  denied  the 
application.  Brooks,  without  any  show  of  annoyance,  took 
the  stand  again  and  denied  positively  the  declarations  of 
the  detective  in  reference  to  the  destruction  of  the  paper  by 
his  own  hands.  He  then  endeavored  to  establish  adverse 
possession  by  the  company,  under  the  deed,  after  which  the 
case  was  submitted;  Herman  offering  no  further  evidence, 
confining  himself  to  briefly  calling  the  court's  attention 
to  the  fallacy  of  this  special  defense,  as  the  company's 
possession  was  but  the  possession  of  its  co-tenant  and  that 
the  U.  S.  patent  created  a  new  right  in  the  plaintiff  that 
had  not  yet  been  barred  by  limitation.  The  judge  im 
mediately  gave  his  decision  in  favor  of  plaintiff  and  called 
the  case  of  Antonio  Castanos.  Brooks  sought  to  have  this 
case  continued  on  account  of  the  absence  of  Espinosa  and 
presented  strong  grounds  for  his  motion,  which  under 
ordinary  circumstances  might  have  prevailed. 

"Mr.  Brooks,"  said  the  judge,  "by  what  process  and 
within  what  time  do  you  imagine  you  could  produce  the 
testimony  of  Mr.  Espinosa?  The  affidavit  of  Mr.  Sigis- 


WATERLOO  FOR  BROOKS  479 

mund,  presented  in  opposition  to  your  motion,  shows  that 
this  party  is  on  his  way  to  Mexico  and  that  he  went  pur 
posely  to  escape  the  ordeal  of  these  trials,  and  we  must 
say  that  we  are  not  astonished  at  his  flight.  I  will  not  be 
so  unjust  to  the  plaintiff  who  is  present  with  his  witnesses 
and  whom  delay  may  grievously  prejudice.  Proceed  with 
the  trial." 

The  trial  of  Antonio's  case  showed  such  wilful  and 
deliberate  misrepresentation,  deceit  and  breach  of  confidence 
on  the  part  of  the  representatives  of  the  company,  and  the 
consideration  for  the  conveyance  of  his  interest  was  so 
grossly  inadequate,  that  the  court  gave  its  decision,  as  it 
had  done  in  the  Valenzuela  case,  at  once,  from  the  bench, 
in  favor  of  Antonio.  He  then  said  that  he  had  considered 
the  case  of  the  company  against  Juan  Pedro  Olivera,  and 
rendered  judgment  for  the  defendant. 


CHAPTER  LIU 

STANLEY'S    TREACHERY    TO    MRS.    VALENZUELA    AND    CAR- 

MELITA    , 

HERMAN'S  achievements  in  the  El  Roblar  Viejo  suits 
brought  him  no  end  of  congratulations  and  praise.  The 
natives  exalted  him  as  a  hero;  his  own  personal  friends 
showed  more  keen  pleasure  than  he  allowed  himself  to  ex 
hibit,  and  Sigismund  was  wildly  elfish  in  his  demonstrations 
of  joy.  He  was  deeply  touched  by  the  tearful  thanks  of 
Senora  Valenzuela  and  the  gratitude  of  Carmelita,  as  well 
as  by  the  earnest  expressions  of  sympathetic  appreciation 
from  Father  Aloysius.  If  a  strain  of  sadness  was  awak 
ened  by  them,  the  sweet  words  of  Martha  brought  greater 
satisfaction  to  his  heart  than  all  other  commendation: 

"  I  felt,  Mr.  Thomas,  that  the  day  would  soon  come  when 
your  talents  and  force  would  assert  themselves  in  an 
achievement  with  more  than  the  price  paid  in  failures, 
misfortunes  and  disappointments,  and  it  makes  me  very 
happy  that  I  was  so  good  a  prophet." 

Sigismund  immediately  took  Mr.  Beaumont  under  his 
wing.  He  was  carried  away  with  admiration  of  the  de 
tective's  demoralization  of  Brooks  and  the  skill  and  talent 
he  displayed  in  bringing  it  about.  Besides  he  was  a  con 
genial  spirit  and  he  was  eager  to  contribute  to  his  amuse 
ment  while  he  remained  in  St.  Agnes.  He  planned  and 
carried  out  with  brilliant  success,  as  a  celebration  of 
Herman's  triumph,  a  reunion  at  the  Wienerhalle  where  the 
choice  spirits  and  jovial  fellows  among  his  friends  —  in 
cluding  the  Baron  —  with  the  aid  of  Mrs.  Beaumont,  filled 
an  evening  with  soul  refreshing  merriment  that  eclipsed 
the  most  brilliant  symposium  that  ever  created  delight  within 
the  mirth  provoking  walls  of  Old  Taps. 

Past  the  rendezvous  of  these  merry-makers,  along  the 
darkened  alley,  his  head  bowed  upon  his  breast,  his  hands 
tightly  clenched,  a  red  flush,  as  if  painted,  on  his  livid 

480 


STANLEY'S  TREACHERY  481 

cheeks  —  the  only  sign  of  the  heavy  draughts  of  fiery  spirits 
with  which  he  had  sought  to  calm  the  flames  of  passion 
within  him  —  the  peals  of  merriment  and  strains  of  music 
carried  to  his  ear,  taunting  him,  walked  the  exposed,  beaten 
and  shamed  robber  of  the  simple  and  helpless.  His  way 
led  by  the  court  house  —  the  scene  of  his  degradation,  past 
the  jail  whose  bulging,  barred  windows  seemed  to  mock 
him,  to  a  clump  of  live-oaks  a  little  distant  from  the  court 
house,  where  he  found  Walter  Stanley  awaiting  him. 
After  an  earnest  conversation,  they  separated,  returning  to 
town  by  different  routes.  As  they  parted,  Brooks  said: 

"If  you  succeed,  not  only  will  I  pay  you  this  cash  fee, 
but  will  make  your  fortune." 

Herman's  victory  over  Brooks  brought  him  no  immediate 
pecuniary  profit,  and  his  debts  became  an  Old  Man  of  the 
Sea.  His  work  had  been  trying  and  a  strain  upon  his 
nervous  system,  and  it  had  become  a  habit  with  him,  when 
exhausted,  to  renew  his  strength  with  stiff  glasses  of  brandy 
at  Old  Butts'  retreat.  The  spirit  was  medicine  to  him 
and  the  only  thing  that  soothed  his  nerves,  allayed  his 
fever  and  brought  sleep. 

Yet,  with  all  his  mental  distress,  these  triumphs  were  a 
source  of  pleasure  to  him;  for  a  long  time  they  kept  coming 
into  his  thoughts  and  brought  him  satisfaction  and  courage. 
They  were,  however,  succeeded  by  months  of  uninteresting 
work,  little  remuneration  and  worry  over  his  financial  con 
dition. 

Brooks  had  immediately  taken  initiatory  steps  to  appeal 
the  three  suits,  asking  no  favors  of  court  or  counsel  as 
to  the  granting  of  additional  time,  but  apparently  desirious 
of  pushing  the  appeals  as  rapidly  as  possible.  A  short 
time  after  he  had  perfected  the  necessary  proceedings, 
Herman  saw  in  the  newspapers  that  he  had  gone  East, 
and  a  little  later  that  he  had  sailed  for  Europe.  He  subse 
quently  learned  from  Howells  that  the  stealing  through  a 
forged  conveyance  of  an  interest  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  prop 
erty  was  only  a  part  of  his  rascality  that  they,  Howells 
and  Beaumont,  had  unearthed,  and  that  he  had  put  in 
safe  custody  and  out  of  the  way  of  seizure  all  the  funds 
and  property  he  could  and  gotten  out  of  the  way  of 
criminal  prosecution, 


482  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

A  couple  of  weeks  after  the  trials,  Antonio  Castanos 
called  upon  Herman  and  said  that  he  had  been  interviewed 
by  Walter  Stanley  who  had  offered  to  procure  for  him  a 
settlement  with  the  company;  first  stating  that  he  was 
pretty  sure  of  getting  him  five  thousand  dollars,  and  after 
wards  raising  this  to  that  amount,  in  addition  to  that  which 
he  had  borrowed  from  Brooks  and  repaid  him. 

"And  what  did  you  tell  him?  "  asked  Herman. 

"  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  wish  any  money,  and  would 
be  afraid  to  take  any  from  Brooks,  for  fear  it  might  have 
been  stolen;  that  I  wanted  my  land,  which  the  court  had 
given  to  me,  and  I  was  not  afraid  of  any  other  court  taking 
it  away  from  me." 

"  Bravo !  Don  Antonio,  that  is  the  true  spirit,"  said 
Herman;  "  and  you  need  have  no  fears.  Brooks  can  never 
have  reversed  the  judgment  in  your  favor." 

While  they  were  conversing,  a  boy  brought  Herman  a 
message  from  Senora  Valenzuela,  requesting  him  to  call 
upon  her. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  Stanley  has  made  some  such  proposition 
to  the  Senora  as  he  made  to  you,"  said  Herman,  "  I  would 
be  glad  if  you  would  accompany  me  to  her  house." 

Don  Antonio  expressed  his  willingness.  On  the  way  they 
met  Father  Aloysius,  and  Herman  requested  him  to  be  of 
the  party,  saying  that  it  might  be  important  to  have  his 
presence.  Carmelita  met  them  on  the  porch,  not  with  her 
usual  frank,  childlike  way,  but  with  an  awkward  restraint, 
that  brought  a  sharp  glance  from  Father  Aloysius.  She 
ushered  them  into  the  living-room  where  Senora  Valenzuela 
was  sitting,  and  who  welcomed  them  cordially.  After  they 
were  seated,  she  said: 

"  Indeed,  I  am  glad  that  you  three  good  friends  and  ad 
visors  should  call  at  the  same  time,  for  we  can  now  have 
a  council  about  a  matter  that  has  been  proposed  to  me. 
Carmelita  has  brought  me  a  proposition  that  we  compromise 
our  suit  with  El  Roblar  Viejo  Company.  She  says  that 
we  could  get  seven  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  cash  for 
our  interest." 

"  May  I  ask  you,  Carmelita,  who  has  proposed  such  an 
offer?  "  said  Father  Aloysius. 

Carmelita  turned  red,  and  looking  on  the  floor,  said: 


STANLEY'S  TREACHERY  483 

"  Mr.  Stanley  said  that  he  was  sure  that  he  could  get 
that  for  us." 

"  You  need  not  have  asked  her/'  said  Antonio,  "  who  had 
the  impudence  to  make  such  a  proposition;  it  could  have 
been  no  one  but  that  scoundrel  who  is  a  big  tool  of 
Brooks  as  ever  were  Galindo  and  Espinosa.  He  made  the 
same  offer  to  me  and  received  a  pretty  sharp  no.  Now, 
how  much  do  you  think  your  mother's  interest  in  the  ranch 
is  worth?  " 

"  I  don't  know/'  said  Carmelita.  "  But  I  know  this,  that 
it  may  be  a  couple  of  years  anyway  before  we  can  get  it, 
if  we  win  at  all  in  the  higher  courts ;  and  Mamma  and  I  are 
kept  working  hard  all  the  time,  and  we  cannot  have  what 
other  women  in  St.  Agnes  have;  and  seven  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars  would  make  us  very  comfortable." 

"  And  what  is  to  be  said  as  to  Mr.  Thomas,  who  has  made 
it  possible  to  make  a  compromise  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Thomas  has  always  let  us  believe  that  he  was  work 
ing  for  our  welfare  and  happiness,  and  I  understand  that 
five  hundred  dollars  would  be  a  good  fee  for  Mr.  Thomas' 
work." 

"  Your  own  heart,  my  child,"  said  Father  Aloysius, 
"  never  prompted  such  reasoning.  It  comes  from  another 
and  one  who  is  not  a  good  and  honorable  man." 

"  Let  me  tell  you,  Carmelita,"  said  Antonio,  "  the  seven 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  if  your  mother  let  you  have 
it  —  even  if  you  did  not  do  what  is  right  and  according  to 
agreement  with  Mr.  Thomas  —  would  not  last  you  the  two 
years  you  say  the  case  may  last,  if  you  expect  to  run  a  race 
with  the  American  women  and  have  this  man  who  now 
seems  to  be  your  friend  and  adviser  help  you  to  spend  it. 
Your  mother's  and  my  interests  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  are 
worth  from  fifty  thousand  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
each.  Another  thing,  I  am  not  as  smart  as  your  Uncle 
Pedro,  but  it  does  not  need  much  sharpness  to  see  that 
Brooks'  offer  for  the  interests  is  ten  thousand  dollars  for 
each,  and  Stanley  will  pocket  five  thousand  out  of  it." 

"  I  think  it  mean  for  you,"  said  Carmelita  angrily,  "  to 
speak  so  unkindly  about  Mr.  Stanley  after  all  his  kindness 
to  us.  He  would  never  take  a  cent  from  us.  I  know  it,  the 
way  he  spoke  of  others  trying  to  rob  us." 


484  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Here  Herman  said  quietly: 

"  I  think,  Miss  Carmelita,  that  we  will  not  be  obliged 
to  wait  so  long  to  get  a  final  decision  from  the  supreme 
court,  and  I  am  sure  that  in  a  little  while  a  much  hand 
somer  offer  of  compromise  will  be  made.  Brooks  knows 
that  his  appeal  is  a  hopeless  one,  and  the  judge  who  tried 
the  case  has  compelled  him  to  give  a  heavy  bond  to  secure 
the  payment  of  the  rents  and  profits  during  the  appeal." 

"  And  what  do  you  think,  Father  ?  "  said  Sefiora  Valen- 
zuela,  turning  to  the  priest. 

"  I  think  that  a  compromise  for  a  sum  so  disproportionate 
to  the  value  of  the  property  is  out  of  the  question.  I  fear 
my  good  child,"  turning  to  Carmelita  and  speaking  with 
gentle  affection,  "  is  too  impatient  and  does  not  look  ahead 
like  we  older  ones.  A  little  more  time  spent  in  work  and 
self-denial  and  then  will  come  enough  to  make  her's  and 
her  mother's  life  comfortable  and  easy  without  drudgery. 
But  I  think  it  lies  with  Mr.  Thomas  to  give  the  final  de 
cision." 

"  A  settlement  for  anything  like  the  sum  proposed  would 
be  folly,"  answered  Herman. 

"  You  all  echo  my  own  belief  and  wishes,"  said  Sefiora 
Valenzuela.  "  I  am  happy  and  peaceful,  and  Carmelita  is 
young  and  strong  and  well,  and  we  can  wait.  We  have 
now  something  sure  to  look  forward  to  and  all  worry  has 
been  taken  away.  Antonio,  tell  Mr.  Stanley  that  I  am  of 
the  same  opinion  as  you  and  that  the  proposition  as  to  my 
interest  will  not  be  entertained." 

Father  Aloysius  remained  for  a  few  moments  after  An 
tonio  and  Herman  took  their  departure,  and  chatted  with 
Carmelita.  He  explained  to  her  how  much  better  for  her 
and  her  mother  it  would  be  not  to  sacrifice  the  little  fortune 
that  would  be  sure  to  come  to  them  and  from  which  they 
could  have  a  comfortable  income  during  their  lives.  And 
then  he  led  her  off  away  from  this  subject  and  joked  with 
her  about  little  things  of  harmless  gossip  and  finally,  in  a 
serious  tone,  chided  her  for  not  being  more  attentive  to  her 
religious  duties.  She  promised  humbly  to  be  more  faith 
ful,  and  she  bade  him  good-by  in  her  sweet,  frank  and 
natural  manner. 


CHAPTER  LIV 

A    FAREWELL    REUNION    AND    A    FIRE 

SIGISMUND,  after  the  trials,  which  had  commanded  his  inter 
est  and  active  efforts  and  had  been  to  him  diversions  and 
distraction,  appeared  like  a  caged  lion.  His  vivacity  and 
the  nervous  energy  that  characterized  his  usual  deportment 
had  developed  into  an  unnatural  excitement.  If  one  entered 
his  store,  he  would  find  him  flying  from  shelf  to  shelf,  with 
out  the  aid  of  step  ladders,  examining  these  pieces  of  ma 
chinery  and  looking  through  that  package  of  tools;  or 
else  immersed  in  a  stack  of  invoices  and  bills  in  the  little 
corral  erected  in  the  storeroom  which  served  as  office,  im 
paling  a  pile  here  with  a  skewer,  with  the  dramatic  pose 
and  action  that  he  would  assume  in  plunging;  a  daareer  into 

/*  .tOO  Do 

a  foeman  s  breast,  and  crushing  others  into  a  ball  in  his 
hand  and  hurling  it  into  the  waste  basket  as  he  would  fire 
a  hand-grenade.  One  moment  he  would  be  whistling  like 
a  mockingbird,  the  next  sending  forth  a  melange  of  French, 
German  and  English  oaths,  as  picturesque  as  emphatic. 
Seeming  to  grow  disgusted  with  these  employments,  he 
would  run  to  his  room  and  from  it  would  come  wild  and 
weird  strains  from  his  violin,  with  sometimes  a  pathetic 
refrain,  only  to  turn  into  a  stormier  whirlwind  of  melody. 
He  often  hunted  up  Herman  to  invite  him  to  Old  Butts, 
where  the  two  would  find  solace  and  brain  rest  in  the  ex- 
pugilist's  stiffest  concoctions,  not  invoking,  we  fear,  the 
safe-guard  of  the  old  sage's  stop-watch.  Herman  himself 
was  feeling  the  unrelaxed  strain  on  his  nervous  system  of 
recent  excitement,  work,  worry  and  loss  of  sleep.  It  was 
just  after  the  occurrence  of  the  above  narrated  episode  that 
had  annoyed  and  upset  him,  and  when  some  happening  at 
Sigismund's  store  had  exasperated  that  gentleman,  that  the 
two,  one  foggy  afternoon,  met  at  this  retreat.  They  re 
tired  to  the  empty  cardroom,  and  while  Old  Butts  filled 

485 


486  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

their  order.,  they  sat  silent  and  preoccupied,  each  with  his 
own  thoughts,  that  to  judge  from  their  faces,  had  little 
brightness  in  them. 

"  I  suppose,  mon  clier  Herman,"  at  last  said  Sigismund, 
"  that  your  anchors  are  firmly  set  in  St.  Agnes  and  that 
your  lot  is  cast  with  her  destiny." 

"  Yes,  I  knew  before  I  came  here  that  my  high-strung 
nervous  temperament  and  want  of  rude  physical  strength 
made  impossible  a  successful  career  in  a  city,  and  I  must 
needs  content  myself  with  being  a  provincial.  And  I  have 
pitched  my  tent  in  St.  Agnes  and  will  not  fold  it  to  wander 
elsewhere,  unless  some  unforeseen  catastrophe  occurs  to 
drive  me  out.  As  yet,  I  have  no  reasons  to  regret  my  choice. 
What  of  failure  and  misadventure  that  has  come  to  me  is 
but  the  outcome  of  my  own  folly." 

"  You  are  right,  mon  ami;  and  you  are  blessed  with  hav 
ing  stability  of  purpose  and  patience  to  wait  for  fortune's 
favors.  But  you  have  a  magician's  rug  in  a  profession 
that  can  transport  you  sooner  or  later  to  any  height  your 
ambition  reaches  for.  But  what  is  a  poor  soldier  of  for 
tune  to  do  whose  brain  has  never  been  in  harness  —  whose 
wild  and  wayward  thoughts  and  dreams  are  like  a  band  of 
raw  recruits  never  disciplined;  as  unruly  and  headstrong  as 
an  army  of  Polish  patriots.  What  are  noble  aspirations, 
brilliant  conceptions,  dashing  deeds,  superhuman  energy, 
without  the  traces  and  reins  of  a  controlling  force  and  a 
fixed  beacon  light  to  make  straight  the  course  and  cheer 
the  heart?  How  tired  I  get,  living  in  a  beautiful  chaos, 
amid  a  confusion  of  gems,  leading  a  wild  dance,  with  a 
mad  corps  of  inspired  spirits.  Oh,  for  the  patience  and 
the  heart  to  plod  the  tame  highway  till  the  end  is  reached, 
the  reward  earned  and  the  acme  of  mortal  happiness  fairly 
won,"  and  he  drained  his  glass  and  called  to  Old  Butts  to 
"  refill  the  goblets." 

"  You  will  not  always  wander  in  this  chaos  of  brilliants 
of  the  imagination,  dear  Sigismund;  you  will  some  day 
mount  a  wingless  Pegasus  and  ride  out  into  the  world 
of  battles  and  carve  your  way  to  fame.  The  Lord  has  not 
given  you  so  many  talents  to  be  barren  or  wasted.  It  may 
be  the  hardware  business  ill  accords  with  your  artist 
nature,  and  the  rattle  of  tinware  does  not  harmonize  with 


A  FAREWELL  REUNION  AND  A  FIRE       487 

the  music  in  your  soul,  but  some  day  your  feverish  restless 
ness  will  be  dissipated  in  the  carrying  out  of  a  grand,  ab 
sorbing  purpose." 

"  Well,  my  boy,  I  hope  that  the  day  will  soon  come,  for 
I  feel  like  a  lost  spirit  and  it  would  not  take  much  to  turn 
me  into  one.  But  is  it  not  too  bad  our  little  circle  from 
which  has  come  to  us  so  much  of  pleasure  and  merriment  is 
narrowing  itself?  Capt.  Seymour  leaves  to-morrow  to  join 
a  surveying  expedition  in  Oregon,  Bucknill  is  off  next  week 
for  England  and  John  Stuart  has  already  flown.  How 
will  their  places  be  supplied  ?  " 

"  Too  bad,  too  bad,"  said  Herman.  "  I  for  one  will  feel 
the  loss  of  these  good  fellows.  I  need  now  more  than  ever 
boon  companionship.  But,  you,  dear  Sigismund,  are  a  host 
in  yourself,  and  as  long  as  you  and  your  enchanted  violin 
are  with  us,  we  cannot  grow  melancholy  and  dull." 

"  And  suppose  I  should  lasso  that  wingless  Pegasus  and 
ride  off  to  other  fields,  guided  by  that  all-absorbing  purpose, 
I  fear  that  you  would  quickly  realize  how  small  a  factor  in 
your  life's  true  pleasure  is  this  crack-brained  waif  of  the 
world,  and  how  short  a  time  the  whimsical  strains  of  his 
familiar  spirit  will  linger  in  your  ears.  Ah,  mon  ami, 
no  one  knows  better  than  I,  it  is  not  the  wayward  child 
of  sunshine  who  makes  merry  the  passing  hours,  however 
bright  and  brilliant  he  may  be,  that  anchors  himself  in 
another's  fond  memory.  No,  it  is  he  of  serious  thought, 
of  noble  nature,  soaring  above  the  world's  play-ground,  who 
finds  a  shrine  in  other's  hearts." 

"  Why,  my  dear  good  fellow,  my  true  and  loyal  friend, 
what  malign  spirit  possesses  you  to-day  ?  "  exclaimed  Her 
man.  "  Indeed,  it  would  be  a  sad  day  for  me,  should 
your  destiny  take  you  away  from  St.  Agnes.  You  have 
already  saved  me  from  myself,  when  a  dangerous  mood  con 
trolled  me,  and  your  friendship  is  a  constant  benefaction  to 
me.  Wherever  you  may  go,  if  we  must  part,  whatever  your 
career  may  be,  however  long  before  we  meet  again,  you 
will  be  cherished  in  my  heart  with  a  true  friend's  affection. 
You  may  be  right  in  your  logic,  but  it  has  no  application 
here.  If  many  others  are  blind  to  it,  I  can  see  the  nobility 
as  well  as  the  longing  after  great  things  sought  to  be  con 
cealed  behind  the  jester's  mask." 


488  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  That  is  sweetly  spoken,  Herman,  dear,  and  I  will  say 
nothing  to  dispel  your  conception  of  my  inner  self,  even  if 
it  might  be  a  delusion.  I  appreciate  your  words,  and, 
if  by  chance  we  separate,  they  will  be  a  help  to  me  and 
a  cheer  when  the  blue  devils  assail  me.  But  we  have  one 
parting  to  deal  with,  that  of  the  Captain,  and  we  will  not 
anticipate  another.  Had  we  not  met  here,  I  should  have 
gone  after  you.  I  have  arranged  to  have  Hans  close  the 
outer  doors  of  Wienerhalle  early  this  evening  and  turn  pos 
session  over  to  the  Captain,  the  Baron  —  whom  I  have  per 
suaded  to  spend  a  night  in  town,  with  his  cello, —  old  Joe, 
Bucknill,  and  you  and  me,  so  that  we  can  offset  what  may 
be  a  cheerless  farewell  from  a  gentler  quarter,  with  a 
warm  and  generous  '  Gliick  Auf.'" 

That  evening,  after  the  Captain  had  paid  his  parting  call 
at  the  Morgan's,  which  was  a  brief  one,  despite  the  endeavor 
on  the  part  of  the  good  Colonel  to  detain  him  and  his  un 
feigned  regret  warmly  expressed  that  St.  Agnes  was  to  lose 
him,  at  least  for  a  time,  the  little  company  assembled  at  the 
Wienerhalle.  When  Hans  presented  the  first  round  of 
glasses,  even  that  stolid  Teuton  glanced  around  at  the  guests 
with  something  akin  to  astonishment  on  his  face.  Each 
sat  silent  and  serious  looking,  and  one  would  have  thought 
that  it  was  a  church  conclave.  Of  course,  the  Captain  felt 
downcast,  possessed  with  the  feeling  that  the  one  from 
whom  he  coveted  most  a  sincere  expression  of  regret  at  his 
departure  was  really  relieved  at  the  prospect  of  no  longer 
being  bored  with  his  attentions.  The  Baron's  thoughts 
were  upon  little  Beatrice  and  her  future.  What  was  he  to 
do  when  she  grew  older  and  should  receive  an  education  in 
a  refined  and  cultured  environment?  It  would  take  a  long 
time  and  great  thrift  and  self-sacrifice  to  provide  for  this 
from  Ruheplatz.  Poor  Joe  had  been  coughing  more  than 
usual  that  day,  and  he  realized  that  life  with  him  was 
ebbing  surely  away.  Bucknill  was  perplexed  about  setting 
in  order  his  ranch  household  before  he  sailed;  and  the  mood 
that  impressed  them  in  their  talk  at  Old  Butts'  still  con 
trolled  the  spirits  of  Sigismund  and  Herman.  As  Hans 
disappeared,  Bucknill  lifted  his  glass  and  remarked: 

"  I  beg  to  open  this  wake  with  a  drink  to  our  late 
boon  companion,  the  provoker  of  mirth  and  frolic,  lamented 


A  FAREWELL  REUNION  AND  A  FIRE       489 

friend  and  worthy  host,  Sigismund,  with  the  hope  that  he 
may  yet  be  restored  to  life." 

"  Thank  you,  my  good  Briton,"  cried  the  subject  of  the 
toast ;  "  it  needed  but  your  hearty  pledge  to  win  me  back 
from  the  tomb.  A  bumper  to  you  all  my  friends.  If  a 
damper  again  rests  on  our  souls  this  evening  it  will  not  be 
placed  there  by  Sigismund.  Was  it  not  I  that  conjured  you 
choice  spirits  to  good  fellowship  before  the  magic  circle  is 
broken?  And  I  shall  not  let  the  joyous  moments  lag  or  taint 
them  with  a  breath  of  melancholy.  With  what  my  dear  Her 
man  so  kindly  terms  my  enchanted  violin,  let  me  welcome 
you  —  welcome  you  to  an  evening  of  such  brightness  that  it 
may  cast  a  radiance  on  the  pathways  of  those  who  are  about 
to  wander  off  away  from  the  charmed  circle,  that  they  may 
turn  in  their  journeying  and  gaze  upon  its  genial  glow." 
As  he  spoke  he  had  been  tuning  his  instrument,  and  his 
words  ended  in  a  burst  of  joyous,  thrilling,  inspiring 
harmony  that  in  an  instant  exorcised  the  gloom  from  each 
one's  heart  and  exalted  their  spirits  to  keen  enjoyment. 
The  Captain's  chagrin  vanished  and  he  could  have  built  a 
palace  with  perfumed  lamps  for  any  strange  fair  one; 
the  Baron  grew  rich  in  the  hidden  mines  of  Ruheplatz; 
poor  Joe  became  well  and  strong  and  his  soul  throbbed  with 
the  spirit  of  song;  Bucknill  flew  across  the  waters  to  the 
waiting  bride,  and  Herman  was  drinking  in  again  the  de 
lights  of  The  Keller.  As  the  strain  ceased  in  a  wild  peal  of 
joy,  poor  Joe,  as  if  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  men, 
threw  himself  back  in  his  chair  and  casting  his  eyes  up 
ward,  as  if  his  vision  reached  through  the  smoke-frescoed 
ceiling  and  age-darkened  tiles  above  it  to  the  brilliant  lamps 
of  heaven,  poured  forth  his  soul  in  song  that  seemed 
to  have  caught  an  exquisite  sweetness  from  the  choir  that 
was  waiting  to  welcome  him  when  his  day  of  parting  came. 
It  was  his  own  song,  the  one  he  loved  most  of  all,  the  one 
that  never  lost  its  charm  with  those  who  felt  the  spell  of 
his  gentle  nature  and  loved  to  listen  to  his  birdlike  voice, 
"  Do  not  wound  the  heart  that  loves  thee."  It  cast  no 
cloud  on  the  spirits  of  Sigismund  or  his  guests,  but  it 
spun  a  thread  of  pathos  that  wooed  shy  sentiment  from 
her  shrine  and  made  more  refined  and  enchanting  the  joys 
of  the  evening,  and  gave  scent  and  flavor  to  them,  as  in  after 


490  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

years  they  stole,  oh,  so  entrancingly,  into  the  memories  of 
those  who  lived  to  cherish  them. 

"  It  would  have  to  be  indeed  a  savage,  dear  Joe,  that 
would  ever  inflict  a  wound  on  your  gentle  heart,"  said  Her 
man,  "  that  ministers  so  sweetly  to  other  hearts/* 

"  My  friends  are  very  good  to  me,  and  think  they  have 
a  fondness  for  me,  and  they  would  rather  wound  them 
selves  than  me/'  said  Joe  sadly ;  "  but  by  their  very  fondness 
I  make  a  self-inflicted  wound,  for  the  thought  is  always  with 
me  now,  that  it  is  my  voice  they  love,  not  me;  and  if  God 
should  take  that  from  me  before  this  wretched  body  suc 
cumbed,  the  charm  would  be  broken  and  what  had  been  a 
welcome  presence  to  them  would  be  only  tolerated,  if  not 
shunned." 

The  Baron  reached  over  and  placed  his  hand  affection 
ately  on  Joe's  and  said: 

"  Sweet  voices  I  have  heard  the  world  over :  in  opera 
house,  in  concert  hall,  in  salon  and  humble  cot  and  out  in 
the  fields,  and  each  in  its  way,  of  those  that  breathed 
music,  gave  me  pleasure.  They  were  but  voices  and  as  such 
pleased  the  ear.  Many  were  the  endowments  of  sensuous 
souls  and  of  gross  and  sordid  natures.  Happy  gifts  and 
accomplishments,  they  charmed  the  senses;  but  like  precious 
stones,  they  portrayed  their  own  beauty  and  rarely  gave  ex 
pression  to  their  possessor's  soul.  Their  music  and  its  rap 
ture  may  be  bought  or  stolen  anywhere,  and  of  itself  does 
not  win  hearts,  or  cement  affections  or  make  love  enduring. 
It  is  the  soul's  graces  that  have  the  charm  to  kindle  friend 
ship  and  keep  its  lamp  burning  and  if  they  can  voice  them 
selves  in  sweet  song,  brilliancy  is  added  to  their  lustre  and 
rnagic  to  their  power  to  delight.  To  me  no  sweeter  necro 
mancy  exists  than  in  my  dear  wife's  voice;  each  note  is  in 
accord  with  her  pure  and  gentle  thoughts,  and  it  leads  me 
away  from  all  life's  cares  and  weariness  and  worry  into 
a  dreamland  of  peace  and  beauty;  but  if  some  visitation 
of  divine  Providence  should  rob  her  of  this  gift,  my  love, 
if  such  a  thing  could  be,  would  grow  more  gentle,  more 
devoted,  more  tender  than  when  I  dreamed  under  the  spell 
of  her  voice.  Your  gentle  self  is  dear  to  us,  old  boy;  we 
love  to  hear  you  sing,  for  never  was  there  one  could  more 
truly  express  in  song  his  nature,  and  in  the  pathos  in  your 


A  FAREWELL  REUNION  AND  A  FIRE       491 

voice  we  listen  to  the  sentiment  of  your  heart;  you  cannot 
sing  each  hour,  but  when  have  you  found  the  day  or  hour 
when  we  were  not  happy  in  your  companionship?  And  if 
the  spirit  of  song  fled  from  your  voice,,  your  friends  would 
hear  its  echoes  in  each  sympathetic  word  and  affectionate 
glance."  And  the  Baron  took  up  his  bow  and  poured  his 
own  soul  out  in  "  Traiimerei." 

"  Ah,  Baron/'  exclaimed  Sigismund,  when  the  last  plain 
tive  notes  died  away,  "  you  and  Old  Joe,  despite  my  efforts 
to  make  this  evening  a  galaxy  of  sparkling  merriment, 
would  tone  the  brilliancy  with  pathos.  Our  hearts  are  sad 
as  it  is,  and  would  you  make  them  shed  more  tears?  You 
would  have  spared  me,  lieber  Baron,  had  you  known  through 
what  memories  threads  the  bewitching  theme  of  sweet 
'  Traiimerei/  and  how  often  it  tames  the  only  thing  within 
me  by  which  I  can  charm  my  fellows,  the  spirit  of  deviltry. 
We  must  not  be  sad  to-night;  we  shall  not  be  sad.  Those 
that  are  to  go  from  our  midst  must  not  start  on  their  way 
in  a  shower  of  tears,  but  must  be  borne  forth  in  the  sunshine 
on  the  wings  of  joy.  I  wish  to-night  I  could  be  a  Puck 
to  make  each  moment  sparkle  with  harmless  mischief.  But, 
after  all,  I  may  be  wrong.  Will  not  the  pathos  be  a  sacred 
oil  to  keep  the  lamps  burning  in  the  shrine  of  the  past? 
I  wonder  if  I  myself,  the  creature  of  the  ever  restless  ele 
ments,  would  not  be  better  off  when  I  again  become  a 
wanderer  to  have  a  tether  of  pathetic  sentiment  binding  me 
to  fond  images  in  happy  scenes  of  the  bygone.  Captain, 
you  are  going  away  with  ambition  and  energy  to  lead  you  to 
greater  rewards  and  honors  in  your  profession  in  a  broader 
field;  you,  Bucknill,  will  follow  with  sweeter  enticements 
wooing  you,  to  return  to  a  life  full  of  soul  satisfying  plenti- 
tude;  and  those  that  are  bidding  you  God-speed  will  keep 
you  affectionately  in  their  memory  while  watching  your 
career  and  wishing  you  success.  I,  myself,  am  off  bright 
and  early  to-morrow  morning  across  the  mountains,  to  try 
calm  this  whirl  of  excitement  that  possesses  me,  with  rod 
and  reel  and  gun,  in  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness.  A 
missent  bullet,  a  blow  or  a  fall  might  forever  still  life's 
fever;  or,  if  the  forest  elves  did  not  covet  the  companion 
ship  of  my  spirit,  and  I  returned,  I  might  still  mount  a 
certain  wingless  Pegasus  that  Herman  says  exists,  and  ride 


492  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

off  on  the  dusty  stage  road,  to  become  lost  in  the  world's 
traffic  and  turmoil.  I  wonder  in  such  happening.,  what 
place  I  will  have  in  the  memories  of  those  whose  comrade 
in  merry  moments  I  have  been?  Will  they  hang  me  upon 
the  wall  among  the  prints  of  grotesque  characters  and  laugh- 
provoking  cartoons,  or  will  they  give  me  minor  place  among 
those  who  make  the  sweet  companionship  of  the  past?  In 
deed,  my  friends,  I  would  like  the  privilege  of  mingling  with 
these  cherished  ones,  one  of  them;  and  I  would  have  the 
past  veil  the  faults  and  foibles  and  bring  out  into  the 
strong  light  of  day  whatever  of  the  gentler  graces  that 
disclosed  themselves  in  the  midst  of  the  childishness  and  of 
the  folly.  And  I  ask  you  now  in  the  warm  atmosphere  of 
our  hearts'  comradeship,  the  chill  of  the  world  shut  out,  to 
be  very  charitable  to  this  poor  restless  spirit,  not  only  for 
what  of  wrong  you  know  him  to  have  done,  but  what  may 
come  in  the  future  to  discredit  him.  Remember  this,  no 
matter  what  the  world  may  say,  this  same  wayward  being 
has  you  in  his  affections;  that  he  can  feel  and  cherish  af 
fection  ;  that  he  is  honest,  loyal  and  true,  and  that  he  would 
defend  you  against  a  host  of  maligners,  at  the  expense  of 
his  own  welfare  and,  if  necessary,  his  life." 

He  had  scarcely  ceased  speaking  when  the  company  was 
startled  by  the  cry  of  fire.  They  all  sprang  to  their  feet 
and  rushed  into  the  street,  the  Baron  and  Sigismund  hav 
ing  hurriedly  entrusted  their  precious  instruments  to  the 
safe  guardianship  of  Hans,  who  regarded  them  as  sacred 
vessels.  A  vivid  flame  shot  up  from  the  roof  of  the  Crawson 
building  adjoining  the  old  American  Hotel,  but  a  block 
or  two  away.  A  crowd  had  already  collected  in  front  of 
the  building  and  hotel  when  our  friends  arrived,  and  stood 
looking  stupidly  at  the  fast  spreading  conflagration. 

"  To  work !  you  locos"  cried  Sigismund,  and  catching 
sight  of  the  Sheriff  who  had  just  come  up,  hailed  him  with, 
"  Stir  up  these  natives,  le  Roy;  get  all  the  hose  and  every 
bucket  in  the  neighborhood;  we  can  save  the  hotel.  Come 
on,  some  of  you,  with  me  and  get  out  the  furniture,"  and  he 
was  about  to  dart  into  the  now  flaming,  crackling  building, 
whose  hollow  walls  roared  like  a  blacksmith's  forge,  when 
his  arm  was  seized  and  he  was  pulled  back,  and  turning 
he  discovered  Crawson,  the  owner,  who  exclaimed: 


A  FAREWELL  REUNION  AND  A  FIRE       4-93 

"  Old  hon,  Mr.  Sigismund,  never  mind  the  furniture ;  I 
would  not  ave  you  risk  your  life,  no  matter  ow  great  my 
loss.  Save  the  hold  otel.  I  can  bear  my  hown  misfor 
tunes,  but  my  eart  would  be  eavy  hif  through  my  calamity 
bothers  would  suffer." 

Sigismund  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  the  next  moment 
had  taken  the  lead  in  getting  the  old  hand-engine  that  had 
just  arrived,  in  position,  and  the  feeble  stream  directed. 
And  then  he  seized  an  ax  from  the  hand  of  a  volunteer  fire 
man  who  had  no  idea  what  it  was  intended  for,  and  in  a  few 
seconds  appeared  on  the  roof,  in  the  midst  of  the  flames  — 
like  an  imp,  darting  here  and  there  —  cutting  and  slashing, 
the  ax-blade  flashing  in  the  lurid  light,  stopping  now  and 
then  to  yell  some  direction  to  the  men  on  the  adjoining  roofs; 
and  finally,  as  a  great  crash  came  and  the  roof  fell  in,  mak 
ing  a  great  leap,  through  the  belching  sparks  and  flaming 
embers  into  the  arms  of  the  startled  Sheriff  on  the  hotel 
roof,  amid  the  shouts  of  the  applauding  populace. 

The  next  morning  before  daylight,  a  horseman  rode  out 
of  St.  Agnes,  with  blanket,  rifle  and  revolver,  and  directed 
his  way  to  the  mountains.  It  was  the  heroic  Sigismund.  A 
fortnight  passed  and  he  did  not  return.  His  friends  be 
came  uneasy  and  inquired  of  his  partner  his  whereabouts 
and  if  he  had  been  heard  from.  They  found  the  poor  man 
more  greatly  disturbed  than  they.  No  news  had  come  from 
the  absent  one,  but  a  number  of  bills  from  wholesale  houses 
had  poured  in  with  demands  for  immediate  payment.  The 
combination  of  the  store  safe  was  changed  and  the  key 
could  not  be  found,  and  an  expert  had  been  called  and  was 
at  work  to  open  it.  When  at  last  this  was  accomplished,  two 
notes  from  Sigismund  were  found, —  one  addressed  to  the 
partner  and  one  to  Herman.  To  the  former  he  wrote  that 
he  had  branched  out  away  beyond  the  business  possibilities 
of  the  community;  that  the  crash  was  approaching;  that  his 
remaining  to  face  it  would  be  an  injury,  rather  than  a  help, 
to  his  partner,  while  his  flight  would  enable  him  to  com 
promise  without  too  great  sacrifice  with  the  creditors  who 
would  rightly  throw  the  blame  on  the  fugitive;  that  he 
had  taken  barely  enough  from  the  partnership  funds 
to  transport  him  to  another  field,  and  what  he  had  taken 
would  as  soon  as  he  was  established  and  at  work,  be  re- 


494,    ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

placed  if  his  fortune  ever  changed.     To  Herman  he  wrote: 

"  My  dear,  true  friend: 

"  When  this  reaches  you,  I  will  be  united  with  the 
only  friend  I  can  command  to  save  this  reckless  soul  from 
desperation,  '  the  enchanted  violin/  It  j  ourneyed  on 
ahead  of  me,  and  I  shall  hold  sweet  converse  with  it 
about  our  parting  night;  and  it  will  bring  to  me  the  voices 
of  those  I  really  love;  and,  chief  among  them,  yours, — 
dear  companion  of  my  true  self  that  the  world  knows  not. 
This  world  will  call  me  a  traitor  and  fugitive;  but,  I  believe 
your  words  of  yesterday.  You  will  not  think  me  such;  but 
will  wait,  wrait  —  no  matter  how  many  long  years  may  roll 
by,  even  until  death  cuts  short  the  struggle,  if  such  my  des 
tiny  —  to  see  me  conquer  fortune,  in  triumphing  over  self, 
and  be  vindicated.  I  mount  my  wingless  Pegasus.  Say 
farewell  to  whom  remain  of  our  little  circle;  keep  a  brave 
heart  yourself,  and  follow  with  a  prayer  and  blessing. 

"  Your  melancholy 

"  SlGISMUND." 


CHAPTER  LV 

STANLEY    PLANS     ROBBERY     OF     MOTHER    AND    RUIN     OF     CAR- 

MELITA 

SEVERAL  months  had  passed  since  the  events  just  narrated. 
The  Baron  and  his  wife  had  been  dining  with  Col.  Morgan 
and  his  daughters,  and  the  two  gentlemen  were  strolling  in 
the  garden  in  earnest  conversation. 

"  I  cannot  help/'  remarked  the  Baron,  "  feeling  greatly 
distressed  and  uneasy  about  our  good  friend  Thomas;  he 
seems  to  have  been  overworked,  and  is  worried  and  is  at 
times  morose,  and  at  others  unnaturally  excited,  with  all  the 
appearances  of  being  under  some  great  strain  on  his  nervous 
system.  Worst  of  all,  he  appears  to  be  drinking  heavily, 
evidently  to  keep  up  his  strength  and  energy." 

"  I  too  have  noticed  what  you  speak  of,"  replied  the 
Colonel,  "  and  it  grieves  me,  as  I  have  a  great  affection 
for  this  young  man.  But,  Baron,  we  can  say  nothing.  He 
is  one  of  those  sensitive  natures  that  a  word  will  mortally 
wound  and  for  you  or  me  to  volunteer  to  counsel  him  would 
be  but  to  drive  him  from  us.  As  it  is,  he  shrinks  from 
companionship  and  rarely  comes  to  the  house;  it  is  a  fort 
night  since  I  have  seen  him  to  speak  to  him.  He  is  going 
through  some  mental  struggle,  and,  with  such  as  he,  it  must 
be  fought  out  alone. 

Mrs.  Stanley  and  Walter  came  up  just  then,  and  the  two 
gentlemen  accompanied  them  into  the  house.  Mrs.  Stan 
ley  took  a  seat  beside  Martha  who  seemed  to  attract  her 
more  and  more,  and  Walter,  after  a  few  polite  words  with 
the  Baroness,  joined  Anna.  He  had  a  bored  expression  on 
his  face  which  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  conceal,  as  he  tried 
to  do  in  a  forced  flood  of  small  talk. 

"  Martha,  you  are  very  quiet  this  evening,  and  I  would 
say,  sad,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley.  "  Has  anything  come  to  make 
you  unhappy  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  not  exactly  that;  but  there  is  so  much  of  unhap- 
495 


496  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

piness  and  distress  about  us  that  one's  thoughts  must  be 
sometimes  colored  with  it.  I  was  at  the  moment  thinking 
of  a  young  girl  in  whom  I  have  taken  great  interest.  She 
is  very  poor  and  has  to  earn  her  living  and  support  a  bed 
ridden  mother  by  hard  drudgery.  Yet,  she  is  more  gifted 
than  any  child  of  her  years  I  have  ever  met.  She  is  a 
natural  musician  and  seems  to  understand  the  notes  and 
chords  of  harmony  as  if  it  were  her  language,  and  she  is 
passionately  fond  of  verse.  I  have  lent  her  several  books 
of  poetry,  and  she  has  memorized  without  any  trouble  num 
bers  of  poems  and  recites  them  with  wonderful  expression, 
comprehending  their  spirit  and  meaning.  I  long  to  be  able 
in  some  way  to  obtain  her  an  education.  I  believe  it  in 
her  to  become  a  brilliant  woman,  and  it  seems  a  sin  to  let  her 
talents  be  wasted." 

"  Indeed?  It  is  strange  to  find  here  among  these  stupid 
people  one  such  as  you  describe.  I  am  quite  interested.  I 
would  be  very  glad  to  have  you  bring  her  to  see  me  and  let 
her  display  her  talents.  I  might  help  her  perfect  them." 

"  It  is  very  kind  in  you,  Mrs.  Stanley,"  said  Martha, 
. "  to  volunteer  this,  and  I  will  certainly  bring  her  to  you." 

"  What  has  become  of  Mr.  Thomas,  Martha  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Stanley  abruptly,  after  a  pause ;  "  I  never  see  him  now. 
He  seems  to  have  forsaken  society  since  his  two  constant 
companions,  Sigismund  and  Capt.  Seymour,  took  their  de 
parture." 

"  He  rarely  comes  to  visit  us,"  replied  Martha,  and  her 
face  grew  sadder,  "  and  it  is  two  or  three  weeks  since  I 
have  seen  him.  I  have  no  doubt  he  misses  his  light-hearted 
friends  who  always  seemed  to  keep  up  his  spirits.  I 
think  he  is  one  who,  if  left  to  himself,  courts  solitude." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think,  Martha,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley, 
"  that  if  one  of  our  sex,  one  in  whose  company  he  always 
seemed  brightest  and  happiest,  and  for  whom  he  was  ever 
ready  to  leave  work  or  play  when  she  beckoned  to  him,  were 
more  gracious,  it  would  be  more  to  him  than  the  good  fellow 
ship  of  his  two  lost  friends,  and  weeks  would  no  longer 
pass  without  you  seeing  him." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  do  not  know  him,  Mrs.  Stanley,"  said 
Martha,  apparently  not  recognizing  as  personal  Mrs.  Stan 
ley's  allusion.  "  Any  woman  would  have  to  be  in  brilliancy- 


STANLEY  PLANS  ROBBERY  AND  RUIN   497 

far  above  the  ordinary  to  entice  him  out  of  one  of  his 
somber  moods.  From  what  I  know  of  him,  I  believe  that 
the  society  of  boon  companions  of  his  own  sex,  full  of  fun 
and  frolic,  is  an  essential  to  keep  him  from  brooding." 

After  the  Stanleys  had  taken  their  departure  and  the 
Colonel  was  returning  from  the  gate  to  which  he  had 
escorted  them,  Martha  met  him. 

"  Papa  dear,"  she  said,  in  an  embarrassed  mannner, 
"  have  you  seen  Mr.  Thomas  lately  ?  " 

"  No,  my  dear,  not  very  recently." 

"  Do  you  think  he  for  any  reason  shuns  us  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  he  has  any  particular  purpose  to  avoid 
us,  other  than  his  wish  to  be  away  from  all  his  friends." 

"  I  have  heard,  Papa,  that  he  is  drinking  more  than  had 
been  his  custom ;  do  you  think  this  is  the  reason  ?  " 

"  No,  my  child,"  answered  her  father.  "  I  believe  that 
he  is  going  through  some  great  mental  ordeal,  which,  may 
be,  with  worry,  weakens  him,  and  that  his  resort  to  stimulus 
is  to  keep  up  his  strength.  Of  course,  it  will  lose  its  power 
and  only  aggravate  his  trouble,  as  he  will  later  learn.  But, 
Martha,  if  you  feel  the  interest  in  him  I  do,  let  me  assure 
you  that  he  will  come  out  of  it  all  a  conqueror,  or  I  have 
misread  the  young  man's  character." 

"  I  am  very,  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  this,  Papa,  for  it 
would  be  a  terrible  thing  for  one  of  his  serious  thought  and 
high  aspirations  to  sacrifice  the  career  they  would  otherwise 
insure  him,  through  an  unconquerable  weakness." 

Walter  Stanley  accompanied  his  mother  to  their  home, 
and,  leaving  her  there,  continued  his  way  uptown.  He 
went  into  the  bar-room  of  the  American  Hotel  which  had 
escaped  material  injury  by  the  fire,  sat  down  in  a  vacant 
card-room  and  drew  from  his  pocket  two  letters  he  had 
received  just  before  going  to  the  Morgans.  One  was  a 
threatening  letter  from  a  lawyer.  It  concluded  in  the 
following  language : 

"  Unless  you  make  good  within  a  week  the  three  thousand 
dollars  you  obtained  under  false  pretenses  from  my  client, 
I  shall  sue  you  for  damages  and  prosecute  you  criminally 
without  further  parley." 

Stanley  uttered  an  oath  and  crumbled  the  letter  in  his 
hands  as  he  muttered: 


498  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  D — n  him,  I  have  no  doubt  he'll  make  good  his  threats. 
But  what  am  I  to  do?  I'm  at  the  end  of  my  string.  Luck 
has  been  against  me  from  the  start.  This  cursed  playing 
with  small  stakes  gives  one  no  chance  to  make  a  handsome 
winning.  Mother  will  do  nothing  for  me;  it  is  hopeless  to 
try  her,  especially  after  the  El  Roblar  Viejo  stock  affair. 
But  why  shouldn't  I  have  some  of  what  she  hoards;  it  is 
as  much  mine  as  hers?  My  God,  I  won't  stand  it  any 
longer;  I'll  take  what  belongs  to  me,  whatever  may  happen 
to  her.'* 

He  then  opened  the  other  letter  and  became  at  once 
absorbed  in  its  contents.  It  was  from  Espinosa.  He  sat 
sometime  after  he  had  ceased  reading,  in  deep  thought,  and 
finally  he  replaced  it  in  his  pocket,  and  as  he  did  so  an  ex 
pression  of  dogged,  sullen,  vicious  determination  came  into 
his  face,  while  he  repeated  to  himself: 

"  The  field  is  prepared.  I  have  my  part  of  the  money 
ready,  and  when  you  come  with  your  part,  the  institution 
is  ours  and  our  fortune  is  made.  But  be  sure  bring  la 
senorita  with  you:  as  the  most  charming  of  monte  dealers, 
she  will  double  our  profits." 

"  These  words  of  yours,  my  good  Mexican,  decide  my 
destiny.  Fate  has  brought  me  these  two  letters  together, 
and  the  only  way  to  escape  the  danger  menaced  in  the  one, 
is  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities  displayed  in  the 
other,  however  desperate  the  means  to  seize  them  may  be." 

He  went  to  the  bar,  took  a  great  draught  of  raw  whiskey 
and  went  out.  He  walked  down  the  main  street  some  dis 
tance  in  the  direction  of  his  home,  then  turned  up  towards 
the  native  settlement  and,  retracing  his  steps,  with  his  hat 
turned  down  and  a  muffler  wound  around  his  neck  and  the 
lower  part  of  his  face  and  his  gait  disguised,  keeping  in  the 
shadow  of  trees  and  houses,  he  came  to  the  house  of  Senora 
Valenzuela.  He  crept  up  along  the  fence  to  the  corner 
of  the  corridor  when  he  halted,  concealed  from  view  from 
the  street,  and  gave  a  low  call.  Presently  a  door  on 
the  porch  opened  softly  and  Carmelita  muffled  in  a  shawl 
came  out  and  joined  him.  They  conversed  in  low  tones 
earnestly  for  a  half  hour,  he  seeming  to  be  urging  some 
thing  and  she  protesting,  finally  yielding.  As  they  parted, 
he  said: 


STANLEY  PLANS  ROBBERY  AND  RUIN   499 

"  Remember,  the  steamer  will  sail  at  nine  o'clock  on 
Sunday  evening,  day  after  to-morrow;  the  carriage  will  be 
at  the  Presidio  at  eight  o'clock ;  you  have  but  a  block  to  walk 
and  you  must  be  ready.  The  driver  will  know  where  to 
pick  me  up.  Until  Sunday  night  then,  dearest !  " 

While  Stanley  was  thus  occupied,  his  mother  spent  the 
evening,  as  she  had  spent  so  many  weary  ones  before,  in 
solitude,  so  far  as  human  companionship  is  concerned.  The 
faithful  Timon  was  always  by  her.  A  deeper  sense  of 
loneliness  than  usual  oppressed  her.  She  was  thinking  of 
the  home  she  had  just  been  visiting,  the  peace  and  happiness 
that  characterized  it,  the  gentle  devotion  of  daughter  to 
father  and  the  affection  that  bound  the  three  together.  And 
her  thoughts  went  back  to  the  one  who  had  in  his  simple 
way  sought  to  make  her  life  happy;  thoughtful  and  consid 
erate  in  everything,  admiring  her  talents  and  clothing  her 
with  virtues  that  did  not  exist,  and  taken  away  before  the 
ice  that  had  formed  in  her  breast  in  her  cruel  maidenhood 
had  quite  thawed.  She  wondered  if  he  ever  felt  from  it  a 
blighting  chill  such  as  killed  each  tendril  of  love  and  long 
ing  her  heart  put  forth  for  her  own  offspring.  Her  loneli 
ness  this  evening  did  not  have  in  it  the  bitterness  that 
armed  her  against  all  human  sympathy,  but  a  feeling  of 
ineffable  pity  for  herself  possessed  her.  Martha's  influ 
ence  was  upon  her,  and  she  felt  that  what  she  had  scorned 
in  her  lifetime,  the  love  and  gratitude  of  one's  fellows,  is 
essential  to  human  happiness. 

"  What  good  to  me  are  my  selfishness  and  coldness  ? 
Have  they  brought  me  any  reward  in  peace  or  comfort? 
Have  they  even  ministered  to  the  gratification  of  the  senses  ? 
How  much  more  of  exquisite  pleasure  does  not  this  girl 
Martha  extract  from  her  life,  devoted  as  it  is  to  others? 
Is  it  too  late  for  me  to  attempt  to  pull  down  the  wall  I  have 
built  about  me?  I  must  do  something;  this  brooding  is 
eating  into  mind  and  body  and  who  can  tell  how  long  it  can 
be  endured  and  how  terribly  it  may  end  ?  " 

Just  as  she  arose  to  retire,  Stanley  came  in.  His  face 
was  flushed  and  an  ugly  expression  was  on  it.  In  reply 
to  his  mother's  salutation,  he  said,  good  evening,  gruffly  and 
went  to  his  room.  Mrs.  Stanley  stood  for  a  moment,  the 
lamp  in  one  hand,  the  other  pressed  tightly  against  her 


500  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

breast,  and  her  face  deathly  white,  and  followed  him  with 
her  gaze  until  he  had  disappeared.  She  looked  not  unlike 
Medea,  as  she  had  portrayed  her,  when  bidding  farewell  to 
her  children.  Finally  she  walked  unsteadily  away  to  her 
chamber,  with  a  look  approaching  despair  on  her  counte 
nance. 


CHAPTER  LVI 

MATRICIDE     AND     AN     AVENGER 

IT  was  the  first  Sunday  in  Advent,  and  nature  did  honor 
to  the  Church's  New  Year's  day.  The  morning  had  broken 
without  a  cloud  to  dim  the  sun's  first  radiance,  and  as  it 
ascended  from  behind  the  ocean  promontory,  its  rays  shot 
out  across  the  peaceful  channel,  sparkling  ribbons  of  golden 
light,  to  the  islands,  yet  lingering  in  the  shadows  of  night. 
The  trees  and  shrubs  had  been  cleansed  by  the  first  rains 
and  glistened  in  the  sunbeams.  The  music  of  a  perfect 
morn,  the  notes  and  calls  of  birds  and  fowls  and  beasts,  the 
hails  and  whistling  of  men,  the  happy  songs  of  women,  and 
the  ringing  of  church  bells  invoked  magic  joyousness  from 
the  beaming  landscape,  and  the  blended  beauty  of  features 
and  voice  sent  forth  through  the  balmy  air  greeting  to  the 
herald  of  the  Nativity.  Father  Aloysius  had  said  early 
Mass,  and  had  betaken  himself  to  the  town,  to  make  some 
sick-calls.  Having  performed  his  duties  in  this  respect, 
he  stopped  to  rest  at  Seiiora  Valenzuela's  before  returning 
to  the  Mission.  Carmelita  seemed  greatly  disturbed  when 
she  saw  him  and  appeared  nervous  and  ill  at  ease  as  she 
accompanied  him  into  the  room  where  her  mother  sat,  and 
her  manner  did  not  escape  his  attention.  She  obeyed  with 
alacrity  her  mother's  request  to  make  a  cup  of  coffee  for 
the  guest,  glad  to  escape. 

"  Father,  you  do  not  know  how  glad  I  am  that  you  have 
come  to-day.  God  must  have  sent  you.  There  is  something 
wrong  with  Carmelita  and  I  cannot  discover  what  it  is,  and 
I  cannot  help  dreading  some  terrible  happening.  She  has 
come  several  times  and  put  her  head  in  my  lap  and  cried; 
and  every  now  and  then  she  asks  me  if  I  really  love  her 
and  if  I  liked  to  have  her  with  me  and  if  she  did  anything 
to  make  me  happy;  and  if  I  would  miss  her,  if  she  should 
be  taken  away  from  me.  And  when  I  beg  her  to  tell  me 
what  troubles  her  and  why  she  seems  so  sorrowful  and  why 

501 


502  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

she  asks  me  these  foolish  questions,  she  only  replies  that 
she  is  not  very  well  and  is  very  nervous,  and  that  she  wants 
to  be  petted  and  comforted.  And,  Father,  she  did  not  go 
to  Mass  this  morning;  the  first  time  I  have  ever  known  her 
to  miss  it,  when  well  enough  to  go  out  at  all." 

The  Father  looked  very  serious  and  distressed,  and  re 
plied  : 

"  I  am  heartily  glad  that  I  was  directed  here.  And  dear 
Senora  do  not  worry;  I  will  find  out  the  cause  of  her  be 
havior,  and  if  any  harm  is  impending,  I  will  prevent  it." 

After  Carmelita  had  brought  the  coffee  and  the  priest  had 
finished  his  cup,  he  arose  and  bade  the  Senora  good-by; 
and  turning  to  Carmelita,  said: 

"  Carmelita,  come  with  me ;  I  wish  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Some  other  day,  Father,"  she  said;  "  indeed  I  am  very 
busy  this  morning." 

"  Go  with  the  Father,  my  daughter,"  said  the  Senora,  in 
a  voice  of  command  that  the  girl  knew  not  how  to  disobey; 
and  she  followed  him  out  upon  the  porch.  He  sat  down  on 
a  bench  and  told  her  to  sit  near  him;  then  turning  towards 
her,  he  looked  at  her  earnestly,  and  the  girl  felt  that  he 
was  gazing  into  her  innermost  soul  and  reading  her  secret 
thoughts,  and  she  trembled. 

"  My  child,"  he  said,  "  why  were  you  not  at  mass  to 
day?  " 

"  I  did  not  feel  well  enough,"  she  said,  averting  her 
eyes. 

"  Carmelita,"  and  his  voice  was  low  and  earnest,  "  since  the 
time  I  looked  upon  you  a  little  infant,  and  saw  you  cleansed 
from  mortal  sin  by  the  waters  of  baptism,  and  myself  for 
you  renounced  the  evil  one,  I  have  watched  you  with  a 
father's  affection.  Your  true  happiness  I  have  had  at 
heart.  I  have  tried  to  lead  you  along  gently  in  the  ways 
where  you  would  find  the  graces  of  a  pure  womanhood  and 
where  evil  would  not  harm  you.  I  have  not  been  severe  with 
you  at  any  time.  Is  that  not  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Father,"  she  replied,  holding  down  her  head. 

"  It  made  me  very  happy  to  know  that  you  had  a  good 
heart;  that  your  inclinations  were  not  evil  and  that  you  had 
a  simple,  ingenuous  nature.  To-day  is  the  first  time  you 
have  told  me  an  untruth.  Why  have  you  done  this  ?  " 


MATRICIDE  AND  AN  AVENGER  503 

Carmelita  here  assumed  an  indignant  attitude,  and  wiping 
away  the  tears  that  had  come  to  her  eyes,  said  defiantly: 

"  You  have  no  right  to  say  this  to  me ;  you  have  no  right 
to  question  me  and  want  to  know  my  secrets.  And  it  is  not 
right  for  a  young  girl  to  tell  to  any  man  her  thoughts,  and 
—  and  — "  And  here  she  put  her  face  in  her  hands  and 
commenced  to  sob. 

The  friar  waited  a  moment,  and  then  said,  gently,  but 
with  deep  sadness  in  his  voice: 

"  My  child,  some  very  wicked  person  has  been  putting 
evil  into  your  heart  —  has  sought  to  lead  you  to  do  some 
thing  which  would  shame  you  to  tell;  and  this  same  wicked 
creature  is  trying  to  rob  you  of  the  safeguard  of  your  honor 
and  purity  —  your  religion.  And  it  was  he  that  kept  you 
to-day  from  your  religious  duties." 

The  girl  trembled  and  glanced  up  at  the  speaker  with 
an  expression  of  awe. 

"  Now,  my  child,"  he  continued,  "  is  there  a  time  when  I 
encouraged  or  permitted  you  to  speak  to  me  except  as  a 
child  would  to  a  devoted  and  pure  minded  parent?  " 

"No,  father." 

"  Then  what  you  have  just  said  to  me  is  another  un 
truth,  because  your  own  life  denies  your  words.  Remem 
ber,  Carmelita,  when  one  has  been  good  and  true  and  sin 
cere  and  departs  from  this  and  commences  to  do  evil,  she 
cannot  conceal  her  thoughts  and  acts,  and  one  can  read  her 
as  a  book.  I  know  that  you  have  allowed  yourself  to  fall 
beneath  the  influence  of  a  man  without  conscience,  who 
seeks  to  corrupt  you.  I  know  that  you  are  now  planning 
some  act  that  may  ruin  you  and  maybe  send  your  poor 
mother  heartbroken  to  the  grave.  Are  you  not?  " 

"  O  Father,  I  would  not  do  anything  to  make  Mamma 
miserable.  I  shall  only  be  gone  from  her  a  little  while  and 
will  come  back  with  means  to  give  her  more  comforts  than 
she  has  ever  had,  and  we  will  live  like  ladies  as  we  have  a 
right  to." 

"  And  Walter  Stanley  guarantees  you  all  this  ?  "  asked 
the  priest. 

"Yes,   Father." 

"  But,  why  should  there  be  any  separation  from  your 
mother?" 


504  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  Well,  Walter  says  that  it  would  cause  a  great  deal  of  talk 
and  gossip  if  we  are  married  here;  that  his  mother  would 
oppose  it  and  try  to  prevent  it  and  that  it  would  be  very 
disagreeable  to  him,  owing  to  his  supposed  engagement  to 
Anna;  that  we  could  go  to  Los  Angeles  and  be  married 
there  and  then  return  as  man  and  wife." 

"  And  has  he  told  Anna  that  another  has  taken  her 
place  ?  " 

"  No;  it  would  not  be  wise,  he  said,  on  account  of  his 
mother,  who  would  immediately  suspect  something." 

"  And  so  you  were  to  leave  your  mother,  and  on  to-night's 
steamer,  I  take  it,  run  away  clandestinely  with  a  man 
known  among  his  fellows  as  unconscionable  and  heartless ! 
Now,  my  child,  I  do  not  believe  you  would  willingly  do 
anything  wicked;  but  if  you  did  what  you  intended,  you 
would  be  guilty  of  a  mortal  sin  which  would  blight  your 
life.  But  not  only  that;  it  would  kill  your  mother,  and 
remorse  would  follow  you  to  the  grave.  You  are  first  guilty 
of  a  sin  in  not  confiding  in  your  mother;  next  you  go  away 
alone  with  an  unmarried  man,  and  sacrifice  before  the  world 
your  honor  in  doing  it,  and  instead  of  taking  a  social  stand 
when  you  come  back,  if  you  ever  do,  you  will  be  avoided  and 
treated  with  contempt.  Your  mother  would  realize  this, 
and  to  have  her  daughter  dishonored  and  herself  shamed 
in  her  daughter's  disgrace,  would  itself  be  too  much  for  her 
to  bear.  Suppose  this  man,  if  he  intends  to  marry  you, 
were  stricken  down  before  he  fulfilled  his  pledge,  what 
would  be  your  position?  But,  Carmelita,  you  are  blind. 
Think  of  the  character  of  this  man  from  his  own  acts. 
You  can  gather  no  other  conclusion  than  that  he  has  no  re 
spect  for  you  and  will  betray  you.  Why,  if  he  cared  for 
you,  would  he  carry  you  off  clandestinely?  He  is  a  man 
of  the  world  and  knows  it  will  bring  shame  upon  you.  If 
he  were  a  man,  he  would  defy  the  world  and  marry  you 
here  in  your  own  home.  But  he  has  wilfully  and  cruelly 
forsaken  a  good  girl  —  as  you  know  Anna  is ;  has  no  con 
sideration  for  his  own  mother  and  less  for  yours,  and  I  tell 
you  now,  Carmelita,  that  he  means  to  ruin  you  and  will 
desert  you." 

The  deep  earnestness  and  impressive  manner  and  magnetic 
power  accompanying  the  priest's  words  subdued  the  girl 


MATRICIDE  AND  AN  AVENGER  505 

and  made  of  her  an  unresisting  child.  She  cried  bitterly, 
and  amid  her  sobs  repeated,  "  O  Father,  forgive  me !  I  was 
under  a  spell;  I  did  not  know  what  I  was  doing." 

Finally  he  said: 

"  Now,  my  child,  go  to  your  mother  and  tell  her  all ; 
but  first  promise  me  that  you  will  remain  with  her,  and  re 
fuse  to  see  Stanley  to-day  under  any  circumstances." 

"  I  promise  you,  Father." 

Father  Aloysius  could  not  rest  easy  in  mind  as  to  what 
would  be  the  result  of  the  planned  villainy  on  the  part  of 
Stanley,  and  obtained  the  consent  of  his  superior  to  go  into 
town  that  evening.  About  dusk,  as  he  drew  near  the  resi 
dence  of  Senora  Valenzuela,  someone  came  walking  rapidly 
behind  and  passed  him.  It  was  Pancho  Rodriguez.  There 
was  an  expression  of  anger  and  hatred  upon  his  face;  his 
hat  was  drawn  over  his  forehead  and  with  one  hand  he 
seemed  to  be  holding  something  under  his  coat  which  was 
clutched  tight  with  the  other.  The  priest  immediately 
recognized  him,  and  knew  that  he  must  be  on  some  desperate 
errand. 

"  Pancho,"  he  cried,  "  stop !  " 

Pancho,  without  arresting  his  steps,  replied: 

"  I  cannot  now,  Father,  I  am  in  a  great  hurry." 

The  friar  sprang  forward  and  grasped  his  arm,  and  as 
he  did,  his  coat  was  pulled  open  and  disclosed  a  hunting 
knife  in  the  young  man's  grasp. 

"What  does  this  mean?  What  do  you  intend  doing 
with  that  knife,  Pancho  ? "  exclaimed  the  priest. 

"  Let  me  go,  Father.  I  am  going  to  prevent  a 
great  crime,  if  I  have  to  cut  out  the  black  heart  of  the 
man  that  is  going  to  commit  it.  You  shall  not  stop 
me."  « 

"  But  I  will  stop  you,"  cried  the  friar,  grasping  his  arm 
more  tightly  and  speaking  rapidly  and  sternly: 

"  So  you  will  prevent  one  crime  by  committing  another. 
WThat  is  there  that  can  justify  cutting  another  man's  heart 
out?" 

"  I  learned,  Father,  from  a  friend  of  mine  who  drives  a 
carriage,  that  Walter  Stanley  has  hired  him  to  take  Car- 
melita  and  him  to  the  steamer  to-night,  and  I  inquired  of 
the  steamship  agent  and  found  that  Stanley  had  procured 


506  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

two  tickets  to  San  Diego.  He  intends  to  ruin  poor  Car- 
melita,  and  he  shall  die  first." 

"  So  you  will  risk  your  own  soul,  become  a  murderer 
and  doubtless  expiate  your  crime  on  the  gallows  and  bring 
sorrow  and  disgrace  on  your  old  father  and  mother,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  horror  and  hatred  you  will  raise  in 
the  heart  of  the  one  you  love  and  think  you  are  rescuing. 
Give  me  your  knife." 

Pancho  obeyed  instantly,  such  was  the  force  of  the 
overmastering  will  of  the  friar. 

"  Had  you  been  a  true  Catholic,  my  son,"  he  continued, 
in  an  earnest  tone,  "  you  would  not  have  sought  to  prevent 
this  great  wrong  by  dyeing  your  own  hands  in  blood. 
Had  you  not  been  impelled  by  anger  and  hatred  you 
would  have  invoked  the  aid  of  your  friends  with  confidence 
in  the  great  protector  of  the  orphan  and  the  simple-minded. 
He  has  already  prevented  this  crime.  Carmelita  has  come 
to  her  senses,  and  Stanley  has  failed  in  his  wicked  de 
sign." 

On  this  same  beautiful  Advent  Sunday,  Martha  took  her 
young  girl  protegee  to  see  Mrs.  Stanley.  The  girl  was 
very  shy  at  first,  like  most  mortals  endowed  with  a  breath 
of  genius;  a  cold,  unsympathetic  atmosphere  chilled  the 
divine  fire.  It  was  only  after  Mrs.  Stanley  herself  had 
been  aroused  and  become  interested  by  the  talent  of  the 
child,  and  commenced  to  correct  and  instruct  her,  repeat 
ing  some  of  the  recitations  in  her  inimitable  manner,  that 
she  threw  her  heart  into  it  and  verified  Martha's  declara 
tion  that  she  possessed  great  genius.  It  certainly  was  a 
great  diversion  to  Mrs.  Stanley,  and  she  said  to  Martha 
when  she  and  the  child  took  their  departure: 

"  Martha,  I  thank  you  for  an  hour  of  real  enjoyment. 
I  believe  that  it  would  be  a  wholesome  employment  and 
diversion  to  me  to  teach  your  little  friend,  and  when  the 
time  has  come  for  her  to  have  other  instructors,  although 
I  am  anything  but  rich,  I  might  be  able  to  help  towards 
obtaining  them.  Would  you  like  to  have  me  as  a  teacher  ?  " 
she  said  to  the  little  girl. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  child.  "  Oh,  if  I  could  only 
repeat  pieces  of  poetry  as  beautifully  as  you  do,  it  would 
make  me  so  happy." 


MATRICIDE  AND  AN  AVENGER  507 

As  they  went  off,  Timon  went  as  far  as  the  street  with 
them,  and  Martha  patted  his  head  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  take  a  walk.  He  looked  at  his  mistress,  as  if  ask 
ing  permission;  she  motioned  him  to  go,  and  he  followed 
Martha. 

Mrs.  Stanley  sat  for  a  long  time  in  deep  thought.  Then 
she  said  to  herself: 

"  Yes,  I  will  try  to  make  some  sacrifice  of  pride  and 
selfishness.  I  will  try  to  gain  some  peace  and  comfort 
by  being  a  benefactor  of  this  young  creature.  What  would 
have  become  of  me,  a  poverty  stricken  waif  and  talented 
as  is  this  girl,  had  it  not  been  for  that  noble  man,  Major 
Forrester?  I  have  written  to  him  that  should  my  little 
fortune  fall  into  his  hands  to  devote  it  to  just  such  char 
ities  as  he  made  me  the  beneficiary  of.  I  will  write  to 
him,  now  while  the  humor  is  with  me,  to  place  a  sufficient 
sum  in  Martha's  hands  to  complete  the  education  of  this 
girl,  and  put  the  note  to-morrow  with  my  will  and  my 
former  letter  to  him." 

She  arose  and  wrote  and  sealed  the  note  and  laid  it  on  her 
dressing-table.  The  thought  then  came  to  her  that  poetry 
and  music  ill  accorded  with 'the  child's  poor  clothing  and  she 
determined  to  do  something  towards  adding  to  her  ward 
robe.  This  led  to  the  recollection  that  she  would  require 
some  money  for  the  morrow's  use,  and  that  she  had  not 
yet  cut  from  her  bonds  coupons  that  had  matured  some  time 
back,  and,  after  taking  her  usual  precautions  against  obser 
vation,  she  took  from  the  secret  receptacle  her  safety 
box,  opened  it  and  unfastened  the  envelope  in  which  she 
kept  the  unregistered  government  bonds.  Instead  of  the 
bonds  there  was  a  fold  of  waste  paper  —  the  bonds  had 
disappeared.  Her  face  became  deathlike,  she  clasped  her 
breast  with  her  hands  and  sunk  to  "the  floor  panting  for 
breath. 

"  Robbed  —  ruined !  "  she  exclaimed  in  the  midst  of  her 
struggles  for  breath,  and  she  repeated  it  over  and  over. 
At  last  she  raised  herself  to  her  knees  and  mechanically 
replaced  the  packet,  locked  the  box  and  returned  it  to 
its  receptacle,  and  then  she  struggled  to  her  feet. 

"  I  must  have  air,  or  I  will  die,"  she  gasped. 

She  threw  a  shawl  over  her  head  and  went  out.     She 


508  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

felt  she  must  have  more  air,  and  walked  down  to  the 
beach  and  along  the  strand,  across  the  rocky  point  to  where 
the  western  breeze  that  gave  life  and  freshness  to  that 
beautiful  Sunday  afternoon,  blew  unbroken  from  across 
the  ocean.  She  sat  down  upon  a  rock,  threw  her  shawl 
from  her  and  with  her  hands  pressing  tightly  her  bosom 
drank  in  the  life  preserving  jets  of  air. 

"  Robbed !  Robbed !  "  she  had  been  repeating  as  in  a 
delirious  dream,  her  mind  dazed,  her  brain  in  a  whirl. 
At  last  she  was  able  to  concentrate  her  thoughts  enough 
to  reason  about  the  deed. 

"  How  was  it  possible !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Could  it  have 
been  the  work  of  the  detective?  " 

Suddenly  there  came  to  her  the  recollection  of  the  last 
time  she  had  taken  the  bonds  from  the  box ;  she  remem 
bered  the  hound's  peculiar  action  and  then  the  fact  of 
Walter  coming  up  the  steps  as  she  went  out,  and  certain 
indications  of  embarrassment  on  his  part,  creating  no  im 
pression  then,  flashed  upon  her  mind,  and  she  exclaimed: 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt;  the  robber  is  my  own  un 
natural  son,"  and  the  delirium  came  upon  her  again;  and 
the  refrain,  "  Robbed  by  my  son,"  kept  grinding,  grind 
ing  through  her  brain  amid  confused  fragments  of 
scenes  of  her  life,  and  sayings  and  doings  of  characters 
she  had  known,  and  she  repeated  conversations,  recited 
verses,  among  them  those  but  an  hour  before  she  had  re 
cited  to  the  child  she  had  determined  to  aid.  Suddenly 
she  sprang  to  her  feet  and  enacted  the  scene  from  Medea 
that  had  once  terrorized  the  soul  of  her  son,  more  terrible 
now  in  her  wild  fury.  During  her  raving  she  had  been 
clasping  first  her  throbbing  temples,  then  her  panting  bosom. 
Suddenly  as  if  instinctively  she  took  from  her  belt  a  small 
vial  and  swallowed  the  contents.  The  drug  had  its  effect, 
and  presently  she  sat  down  again  and  a  dull  stupor  came 
upon  her.  She  sat  until  the  sun  dropped  below  the  hori 
zon,  leaving  a  soft  glow;  until  the  glow  faded  into  the 
gloom  of  night.  A  steamer  glided  in  sight,  her  lights  like 
sparks  from  the  ocean,  and  then  there  was  a  flash,  and  a 
loud  report  from  the  signal  gun,  that  startled  the  air,  and 
the  tortured  woman  awoke  from  her  stupor;  at  the  same 
time  she  became  aware  that  someone  was  crossing  the 


MATRICIDE  AND  AN  AVENGER  509 

point  of  rocks  where  she  sat.  She  drew  herself  back  into 
an  alcove  where  she  could  see  without  being  noticed.  The 
figure  of  a  man  appeared.  He  stopped  almost  by  her  side, 
reached  up  on  the  face  of  the  cliff,  removed  some  fragments 
of  rock  and  drew  out  a  packet  from  a  crevice.  As  he  did 
so,  Mrs.  Stanley  sprang  towards  him,  and  seized  the  packet, 
trying  to  wrench  it  from  his  hands,  crying: 

"  Ah,  Walter.  Thief  —  robber  of  your  own  mother ! 
Some  angel  or  devil  has  sent  me  here  to  thwart  your  un 
natural  act." 

"Let  loose,  Mother;  you  shall  not  thwart  me.  I  will 
have  what  is  mine  as  much  as  it  is  yours.  If  fortune  favors 
me,  I  will  replace  what  I  have  taken;  but  you  shall  not 
prevent  my  purpose  now."  And  he  struggled  to  free  it 
from  her  frenzied  grasp. 

"  Mother,  I  will  hurt  you  if  you  do  not  let  loose." 

Still  more  fiercely  trying  to  tear  it  from  him,  she  uttered 
a  piercing  cry,  shrieking,  "  Help !  murder !  Timon ! 
Timon !  " 

Through  the  silent  air,  above  the  roar  of  the  surf,  out 
to  the  incoming  steamer,  affrighting  its  living  freight; 
back  over  the  mainland,  up  to  the  home  of  Col.  Morgan 
where  Martha  was  telling  her  father  and  sister  of  the 
awakening  of  Christian  impulses  in  the  heart  of  the  woman 
who  steeled  herself  against  them,  rang  the  agonizing  cry. 

Stanley,  releasing  a  hand  from  the  packet,  dealt  his 
mother  a  blow  on  the  breast.  Her  hands  relaxed  their 
grasp ;  she  sank  down  among  the  rocks,  and  her  heart  which 
was  ever  a  source  of  trouble  to  her,  and  had  never  felt 
the  heavenly  breath  of  perfect  peace,  ceased  beating.  Be 
fore  the  one  who  had  stricken  her  down  could  turn  to  flee, 
there  was  a  rush  through  the  air,  a  leap  over  the  prostrate 
form,  and  the  enraged  hound  bore  his  body  to  the  earth,  his 
fangs  crushing  through  the  murderer's  throat.  Too  late  to 
rescue,  the  faithful  friend  became  the  terrible  avenger. 


CHAPTER  LVII 

THE   CRISIS  IN   HERMAN'S  LIFE 

A  GREAT  crisis  had  come  in  the  life  of  Herman.  It  seemed 
as  if  all  the  demons  that  tempt  the  soul  of  a  passionate, 
sensitive  nature  had  combined  to  overcome  his  will  and 
destroy  the  nobility  of  his  character.  The  strain  upon  his 
nervous  system  had  been  intense  and  it  had  prostrated  him, 
and  the  devil  insomnia  had  come  to  torment  him.  He 
worried  over  his  affairs  and  brooded  over  magnified  sor 
rows  and  misfortunes.  Periods  of  intense  loneliness  and 
despairing  depression  would  be  succeeded  by  unnatural  ex 
altation  of  spirit,  when  he  would  dream  great  projects 
and  plan  marvelous  achievements,  to  become  abortive  in  the 
helpless  weakness  that  followed.  He  was  haunted  with 
the  idea  that  he  must  work;  that  he  must  show  to  the  world 
that  he  was  capable  of  thorough  work,  no  matter  what 
might  be  his  physical  condition.  To  bring  sleep,  to  drown 
this  horrible  depression,  to  give  strength  to  work  and  to 
conjure  the  bright  dreams  to  his  imagination,  he  resorted  to 
the  frequent  and  excessive  use  of  stimulants.  Several  of 
his  friends,  whom  he  knew  had  no  conception  of  and  were 
incapable  of  comprehending  the  battle  going  on  within  him 
and  the  odds  against  him,  tried  to  admonish  him,  or  reason 
with  him  about  his  drinking,  treating  it  as  if  it  were  the 
only  thing  he  had  to  contend  against  and  as  if  it  were  a 
petty  self-indulgence  which  could  be  laid  aside  with  the 
same  ease  as  refraining  from  gratifying  the  appetite  for 
some  particular  delicacy  of  the  table.  Herman  resented  this 
bitterly  and  in  such  a  way  as  silenced  all  like  attempts  on 
the  part  of  anyone.  Those  that  knew  him  well  and  under 
stood  him  never  referred  to  his  condition,  but  in  his  un 
natural  moments  rather  avoided  his  company,  for  fear  of  in 
flicting  a  wound.  Their  action  in  this  respect,  however, 
did  wound  him  and  added  to  his  wretchedness.  He  im 
agined  that  he  was  being  shunned  by  everyone;  that  he  was 

510 


THE  CRISIS  IN  HERMAN'S  LIFE  511 

regarded  as  a  sort  of  outcast.  After  working  in  his  office 
when  it  required  all  the  power  of  his  will  to  control  his 
nerves  to  accomplish  anything,  he  would  go  out  and  walk 
great  distances,  on  the  beach,  over  the  hills,  through  the 
country,  until  his  feet  were  worn  and  sore,  his  brain  all 
the  time  working  like  an  engine;  and  when  he  had  not 
the  strength  to  go  further,  he  would  sit  on  a  rock  on  the 
sea-shore,  and  wrestle  with  the  demons  within  him.  In 
his  loneliness  a  great  pity  for  himself  would  come  into  his 
heart  and,  at  one  of  these  times,  old  Saterlee  and  his 
sad  face  and  forlorn  look  stood  before  him.  On  the  im 
pulse  he  wrote  him  a  few  lines,  telling  him  of  the  death 
of  his  murderous  enemy,  and  closing  the  letter  with,  "  I 
am  not  well  myself;  indeed  I  am  wretched  in  mind  and 
body.  Pray  for  me." 

His  life  was  a  constant  prayer  for  help,  and  through  all 
his  weakness,  not  a  single  feeling  of  resentment  or  re 
bellion  against  his  lot  came  to  his  thoughts.  He  was  at 
all  times  conscious  of  a  protecting  power  about  him.  He 
escaped  a  number  of  accidents,  as  if  by  unseen  aid  in  his 
wild  walks  by  day  and  night.  In  the  endeavor  to  win 
sleep,  he  would,  at  all  hours  of  the  night,  go  into  the  ocean 
and  swim.  As  he  approached  the  breakers,  in  their  tower 
ing  might  and  threatening  aspect,  they  seemed  to  him  like 
devouring  beasts;  meeting  him,  they  broke  over  him  gently, 
caressingly,  soothingly,  as  if  trying  to  bring  him  peace. 
One  night,  when  the  fog  had  come  down  upon  the  earth  and 
was  so  dense  that  objects  were  not  distinguishable  in  the 
distance,  he  swam  far  out  beyond  the  breakers.  When  he 
turned  to  go  back,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  see  the 
shore,  and  the  surf  on  the  curved  beach  sounded  in  every 
direction  and  he  did  not  know  in  what  direction  to  go. 
He  laid  on  his  back  and  tried  to  think  of  what  to  do. 
He  felt  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  death.  His  strength 
was  barely  great  enough  to  take  him  directly  to  land. 
He  had  always  possessed  a  horror  of  drowning,  but  above 
and  beyond  this  was  the  feeling  of  being  taken  away  before 
he  had  conquered  the  evil  spirit  within  him,  when  his  life 
would  end  before  the  world  in  shame,  and  his  death  be 
pronounced  as  self-imposed. 

"  My  God,"  he  cried,  "  do  not  let  me  die  this  death !  " 


512  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

And  that  instant  he  caught  sight,  close  by  him,  the  end 
of  the  wharf,  and  guided  by  it,  he  swam  to  shore. 

He  made  earnest  efforts  to  break  himself  of  the  use  of 
stimulants,  and  for  a  short  period  would  succeed;  but  a 
supposed  necessity  for  work  would  come  in  the  midst  of 
helpness  weakness,  and  he  would  return  to  it. 

In  his  walks  he  occasionally  met  Father  Aloysius,  and 
would  exchange  with  him  a  few  words.  There  was  always 
a  sweet  expression  in  his  face  and  his  speech  and  manner 
were  very  gentle,  but  he  never  referred  to  Herman's  health 
nor  gave  a  single  intimation  that  he  was  aware  of  any 
thing  unusual  in  his  conduct.  One  day  when  despair  had 
almost  taken  possession  of  him,  Herman  found  himself  at 
the  Mission.  The  recollection  came  to  him  of  his  visit, — 
it  seemed  an  age  since  then, —  to  Father  Aloysius  and  their 
quiet  talk  in  the  canon  retreat;  and  the  question  he  had 
asked  his  companion:  if  he  believed  he  could  ever  make 
a  Catholic  of  him?  He  thought  he  might  rest  and  maybe 
find  a  little  peace  in  the  same  spot;  and  walked  down 
through  the  archway  into  the  canon  under  the  trees,  among 
the  bowlders,  along  the  singing  stream,  to  the  little  chapel- 
like  nook.  Father  Aloysius  sat  in  the  same  place  he  sat 
when  Herman  asked  him  that  question,  a  book  of  devotion 
lying  open  on  the  rock  beside  him.  There  was  no  sur 
prise  on  his  face  when  the  young  man  appeared.  One 
would  have  thought  he  had  been  awaiting  him. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Thomas,"  he  said.  "  I 
was  just  thinking  of  you  and  wished  you  might  be  here 
to  help  banish  the  sadness  that  clings  to  me  to-day.  You 
know  how  often  you  have  dispelled  the  gloom  from  my  not 
always  cheery  nature.  Sit  down." 

"  O  Father,  I  am  not  the  one  to  bring  you  brightness ; 
my  own  heart  is  very  heavy,"  sighed  Herman. 

"  Well,  we  must  both  look  to  a  higher  power  to  send 
his  angels  to  comfort  us.  I  was  accusing  myself  of 
want  of  charity  and  neglect  of  duty.  I  remembered  our 
conversation  here  about  the  Stanleys  —  mother  and  son, 
(God  rest  their  souls)  in  which  I  expressed  the  bad  impres 
sion  they  had  made  upon  me.  I  some  way  never  overcame 
this,  and  it  grieves  me  deeply  to  think  that  I  might  have 
been  able  by  gentleness  and  patience  to  bring  to  the  poor 


THE  CRISIS  IN  HERMAN'S  LIFE  513 

woman  the  refining  influence  and  consolation  of  religion. 
Martha  Morgan  says  that  at  the  time  of  her  death,  she 
had  begun  to  realize  the  falsity  of  her  infidel  philosophy. 
But  what  makes  my  good  friend's  heart  heavy?"  he  said, 
placing  his  hand  gently  on  Herman's  arm.  The  young 
man  buried  his  head  in  his  hands,  overcome  by  the  affec 
tionate  solicitude  of  the  priest. 

"  O  Father,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  am  so  very  miserable. 
I  do  not  know  what  to  do.  God  has  given  me  more  than  I 
can  bear;  confronted  me  with  more  than  I  can  overcome. 
I  have  tried  so  hard  to  know  what  to  do,  and  to  do  it. 
But  I  have  not  the  strength;  and  mind  and  body  fail  me. 
You  must  have  seen, —  must  know,  as  everyone  knows,  my 
weakness;  but  few,  if  any,  can  realize  what  a  desperate 
struggle  I  have  made  to  overcome  it.  Can  it  be,  Father, 
as  poor  Charles  Lamb  in  his  misery  said,  that  those  weak 
ened,  nervous  beings,  who  invoke  this  artificial  aid  to  raise 
their  spirits  in  society  to  what  is  no  more  than  the  ordinary 
pitch  of  all  around  them,  without  it,  sell  themselves  for 
a  term  of  life?  " 

The  priest,  still  keeping  his  hand  on  Herman's  arm, 
waited  some  time,  until  his  emotion  had  spent  itself,  his 
very  presence  and  touch  seeming  to  calm  him,  then  said, 
his  words  dropping  like  oil  upon  the  troubled  waters  of 
Herman's  heart: 

"  God  never  gives  to  a  being  more  than  he  can  bear, 
never  tempts  him  beyond  his  power  to  resist,  never  blocks 
his  pathway  with  evils  he  cannot  overcome,  and  until  death 
ends  the  struggle,  the  sword  of  conquest  is  within  his  reach. 
You  will  learn,  my  dear  young  friend,  as  you  grow  older, 
and  have  read  many  hearts  and  sounded  human  nature  to  its 
depths,  that  the  scheme  of  human  existence,  the  problem 
that  has  perplexed  philosophers  and  metaphysicians  and 
maddened  some,  has  an  interpretation  and  solution  in  the 
doctrine  of  the  Church;  that  God  placed  man  in  the  hands 
of  his  own  will,  adding  his  commandments  and  precepts. 
Man  is  created  with  a  task  before  him,  to  subdue  the  law 
lessness  of  his  senses,  and  to  perfect  the  nobler  part  of 
his  being,  under  divine  guidance  and  by  divine  help. 
There  is  no  one  who  is  not  afforded  the  means  to  fulfill 
this,  his  destiny,  whatever  his  heredity,  whatever  his  en- 


514  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

vironment.  Of  course  only  the  Omniscient  Judge,  by  super 
natural  standards,  can  determine  how  well  the  task  has  been 
performed.  Scriptures  tell  you  and  experience  shows  that 
many  of  those  who  appear  very  dear  to  God  and  often 
holding  divine  commissions  have  had  the  bitterest  war 
fare  with  evil  and  the  most  desperate  foes  to  overcome. 
Only  those  who  ignore  the  aid  of  Providence  and  care 
not  to  beg  it,  sell  themselves  for  a  term  of  life.  Yes,  my 
friend,  I  have  known  of  the  battle  you  were  fighting, 
and  I  have  said  nothing  to  you  about  it,  awaiting  an 
appointed  time,  as  I  felt  that  God  himself  would  help 
you,  and  that  you  would  be  the  winner.  If  you  only  felt 
the  assurance  that  has  rested  with  me  that  such  would  be 
the  case,  the  shadow  of  despair  would  never  be  upon  you. 
Since  you  have  been  led  to  me  and  have  unburdened 
yourself  to  me,  I  will  advise  you  as  I  am  able.  There 
are  two  things  absolutely  essential  to  the  accomplish 
ing  of  what  you  are  striving  for:  One  is  to  place  your  ab 
solute  faith  and  dependence  upon  the  divine  power  and 
mercy,  being  assured  in  your  mind,  not  simply  that  He 
will  aid  you  spiritually,  but  that  He  will  provide  for  you 
physically,  as  He  does  for  the  birds  of  the  air  and  the 
lilies  of  the  field;  and  that  He  will  not  let  others  suffer 
because  of  your  inability  to  perform  what  you  think  is 
your  duty  to  them.  If  you  are  too  weak  to  work,  you 
must  feel  that  you  can  rest  and  regain  your  strength, 
without  prejudice  to  yourself  or  others;  that  God  will  save 
you  and  them  from  loss  and  distress,  and  you  must  rest 
when  the  strain  of  work  is  too  great  for  you.  Next, 
you  must  call  up  the  full  power  of  your  will  in  an  effort 
of  supreme  self-denial.  Self-sacrifice  is  the  sword  of  man's 
redemption,  it  is  the  emancipation  of  the  soul  from  the 
slavery  of  the  senses,  it  is  the  ennobler  and  perfecter  of 
man's  nature,  and  enables  him  to  keep  the  second  of  the 
great  commandments  and  love  his  fellows.  You  must 
first  determine  in  your  mind  that  you  will  absolutely  deny 
yourself  in  those  desires  that  have  heretofore  dominated 
your  will,  and  proceed  to  carry  out  practically  your  deter 
mination.  There  can  be  no  compromising  with  them,  no 
exchange  for  other  excesses,  but  there  must  be  the  perfect 
enfranchisement  of  the  will,  beyond  the  control  of  any 


THE  CRISIS  IN  HERMAN'S  LIFE  515 

kindred  self-gratification.  To  do  this  almost  superhuman 
courage  and  patience  will  be  required.  The  sacraments  of 
our  holy  church  keep  this  courage  undying  and  the  lamp 
of  hope  burning,  and  calm  and  comfort  and  console,  as  well 
as  give  strength  to  the  spirit  to  rise  above  the  weakness 
of  the  body.  It  would  be  an  easier  task  for  you,  my  son, 
had  you  the  grace  that  our  holy  religion  confers." 

"  Father,  I  am  ready  to  receive  this  privilege  and  aid, 
if  the  Catholic  Church  will  accept  me,  weak  and  wayward 
as  I  am.  I  need  no  schooling  for  it.  I  have  studied  its 
constitution,  doctrines  and  obligations;  I  have  long  since 
concluded  that  it  was  the  only  church  in  which  I  could  find 
satisfaction  of  spirit  and  now  I  am  prepared  to  turn  to  it 
as  a  refuge,"  replied  Herman. 

"  My  son,  you  do  not  know  what  happiness  your  words 
give  to  me,"  said  the  priest,  grasping  his  hand  warmly. 
"Come  at  once;  I  have  but  a  few  questions  to  ask  you, 
a  little  instruction  to  give  you  and  you  may  be  immediately 
baptized;  and  to-morrow  you  can  make  your  first  com 
munion." 

Herman  followed  him  to  the  Mission  church  and  was 
baptized.  When  he  reached  home,  he  was  very  weak  and 
prostrated,  and  his  first  thought  was  to  refresh  himself 
with  a  glass  of  brandy,  and  commence  his  ordeal  the  fol 
lowing  morning;  but  he  realized  that  he  must  then  and 
there  begin  his  self-denial,  if  he  would  succeed,  and  he 
restrained  himself.  By  his  Confession  and  Communion  a 
load  was  taken  from  his  spirit,  a  calm  rested  on  his  mind 
and  hope  came  to  cheer  him. 

The  sacrificial  offering  was  now  to  be  made.  He  re 
turned  to  his  little  home,  where  lie  and  Capt.  Seymour  had 
been  living  together  before  the  Captain's  departure,  now 
occupied  by  him  alone,  and  did  not  go  that  day  to  his  office. 
He  took  up  Thomas  a  Kempis,  and  the  first  words  that 
caught  his  attention  were: 

"  Thou  hast  yet  many  things  to  forsake,  which  unless 
thou  give  them  up  to  me  without  reserve,  thou  shalt  not 
obtain  that  for  which  thou  prayest." 

This  passage  became  a  text  in  his  thoughts,  and  after 
pondering  it  a  long  time,  he  said  to  himself: 

"Why  engage  in  this  battle  unless  it  is  to  win  a  com- 


516  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

plete  victory?  Why  go  through  a  bitter  ordeal  to  over 
come  a  single  weakness  which  is  but  one  of  a  number  of 
rebellious  subjects  of  the  will  that  may  gain  strength 
by  its  destruction?  No;  the  time  is  come  to  gain  a  perfect 
mastery,  and  with  God's  aid  I  will  accomplish  it."  After 
resting  through  the  day,  when  the  hour  of  sunset  ap 
proached,  he  walked  slowly  up  to  the  Mesa  overlooking  the 
town  to  a  spot  he  had  often  visited  at  this  hour  and 
dreamed  beautiful  dreams  in  presence  of  the  transfigured 
landscape,  when  the  western  glow  had  turned  mountains, 
Mission  towers,  nestling  village,  curving  beach,  outreaching 
points,  foam  fringed  ocean,  seaweed  girdle  and  sentinel 
islands,  into  a  vision  of  fairyland  from  which  rose  sweet 
evening  notes  of  nature's  melody;  the  spot  where  so  often 
the  strange  longing  had  come  upon  him  to  fly  to  some 
unknown  country,  he  knew  not  where,  whose  features  he 
could  not  picture.  He  sat  down  upon  a  rock  and  drank 
in  the  beautiful  scene.  He  thought  of  what  bright  visions 
he  had  conjured  to  his  fancy  in  this  same  spot  and  had 
forgotten  all  care  and  distress  in  their  rapture;  and  he 
wandered  back  through  his  life  and  remembered  what  a 
joy  his  imagination  had  ever  been  to  him;  how  when  the 
world  was  dreary  and  the  mind  weary  of  life's  drudgery, 
and  he  found  no  satisfying  companionship  on  earth,  he 
would  take  wings  to  this  land  of  delight  where  he  could 
always  find  rest  and  sweet  fellowship  and  freshness  and 
beauty  and  could  build  castles,  and  win  hearts  and  achieve 
triumphs  and  pluck  laurels  and  drink  in  exquisite  happiness. 
These  flights  from  earth,  these  visits  to  this  realm  of  en 
chantment  had  been  the  radiance  of  his  life.  There  with 
the  entrancing  picture  in  the  sunset's  glory  before  him, 
and  beyond  through  the  horizon's  portals,  the  beauty,  the 
melody,  the  delights  of  the  beloved  gardens  of  his  imagina 
tion  stretching  out  into  limitless  space,  he  closed  and 
barred  and  bolted  forever  their  gates,  and  returned  to  the 
solitude  of  his  home  divorced  from  the  sweetest  companion 
ship  of  his  life. 

"  It  is  the  greatest  of  my  dissipations,"  he  reasoned, 
"  my  sweetest  self-indulgence,  and  if  my  will  gain  perfect 
freedom,  it  must  be  sacrificed." 

From  that  time  on,  for  several  months,  Herman  endured 


THE  CRISIS  IN  HERMAN'S  LIFE  517 

suffering  of  mind  and  body  that  had  in  it  merit  to  gain 
the  choicest  blessings  in  future  peace.  He  planned  for 
himself  a  system  of  absolute  self-denial.  For  a  great 
while  he  suffered  from  intense  thirst,  the  incident  of  phys 
ical  weakness;  he  would  go  to  his  office  and  work  with 
out  resorting  to  a  sip  of  water  or  taste  of  a  fruit  or  any 
thing  to  quench  it,  until  he  took  his  next  meal.  At  table, 
if  any  delicacy  tempted  his  appetite,  he  did  not  touch  it; 
he  went  to  no  places  of  amusement  and  read  no  books  simply 
for  diversion,  denying  himself  in  everything  he  craved 
and  that  would  bring  him  pleasure.  The  result  was  that 
he  gained  command  of  all  his  senses  and  had  under 
complete  control  all  desires  and  inclinations,  and  the  con 
sciousness  came  to  him  that  never  again  would  his  will  be 
enslaved.  Through  this  period  of  hard  penance  his  re 
ligion  was  to  him  strength,  courage,  consolation,  sweetness 
and  hope.  Without  it,  he  felt,  he  could  not  have  endured 
the  ordeal.  After  the  first  brunt  of  the  battle,  he  re 
newed  his  old  association  with  his  friends,  and  they  seemed 
more  kindly  disposed,  more  considerate  and  gentle  in  their 
demeanor  towards  him,  and  took  greater  interest  in  his 
welfare,  and  he  realized  how  unreasonable  had  been  his 
sensitiveness  and  how  false  his  impressions  in  regard  to  their 
feeling.  The  blessedness  of  sleep  returned  to  him  and  a 
peace  and  calm  of  mind  came,  such  as  he  had  never  had 
before.  With  the  banished  intoxications  of  his  imagina 
tion  had  not  departed  his  love  of  the  beautiful,  and  when 
the  dreariness  and  aridity  of  mind  had  disappeared  in  re 
turned  strength,  the  sentiment  that  transfigured  and  ideal 
ized  the  material  things  in  life  about  him,  was  warmer, 
deeper  and  purer  for  being  the  spirit  of  reality  and  not  the 
phantom  of  fiction. 

One  evening  at  a  time  when  his  -strength  was  coming 
back,  he  sat  in  front  of  his  house  watching  the  moon  rise 
over  the  mountain,  and  thinking  of  the  great  change  in  his 
life.  He  wondered  if  because  of  it  he  would  stand  any- 
higher  in  Martha's  regard  or  be  any  nearer  to  her  heart; 
and  if  there  could  possibly  be  a  day  in  the  future  when 
the  memory  of  that  gray  Sunday  would  lose  its  melancholy 
in  the  joy  of  a  dream  then  cherished,  a  longing  then  voiced 
and  at  last  realized.  The  steamer  had  come  in  and  for 


518          ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

some  time  had  been  heard  the  noise  of  discharging  freight 
and  baggage.  The  rumbling  of  an  approaching  vehicle 
awoke  him  from  his  revery  and  soon  the  old  Fifth  Avenue 
stage  drove  up  and  halted  in  front  of  the  house.  An  old 
man  descended  and  went  up  to  Herman,  exclaiming,  "  My 
dear  boy,  my  dear  boy;  how  overjoyed  I  am  to  see  you!  " 
It  was  David  Saterlee.  But  how  different  from  the  old 
man  he  had  said  good-by  to  in  E.  Although  he  had  not 
altogether  lost  his  habit  of  clenching  and  unclenching  his 
hands,  it  was  more  like  a  peculiarity  of  gesture  than  a 
symtom  of  abnormal  nervous  excitement.  His  face  was 
less  drawn,  his  eye  brighter  and  he  had  discarded  his 
shabby  dress  for  a  neat  attire.  Herman  welcomed  him 
warmly.  A  trunk,  a  valise  and  some  blankets  were  unloaded 
from  the  omnibus  and  deposited  in  the  house. 

"  You  see,  my  dear  friend,"  said  the  old  man,  "  I 
have  come  to  stay  with  you  in  your  home.  They  told  me  on 
the  steamer  that  you  were  alone.  I  will  never  disturb  you; 
I  will  be  very  quiet  when  you  wish  to  be  with  your  own 
thoughts.  I  can  be  an  errand  boy  for  you,  and  I  can 
help  you  in  many  ways  —  more  than  you  can  think ;  for 
though  I  am  old  and  broken,  all  my  wisdom  and  knowledge 
of  this  sad  world  have  not  left  me.  If  you  are  not  prepared 
to-night  for  a  guest,  I  have  my  own  blankets  and  can 
sleep  in  them  very  peacefully  under  the  same  roof  with 
my  dear  young  friend  and  rescuer." 

And  the  old  man  took  up  his  abode  with  Herman,  and 
his  words  came  true;  he  did  help  him  and  became  a  blessing 
to  him. 


CHAPTER  LVIII 

DAVID    SATERLEE    AND    BEATRICE 

DAVID  Saterlee  was  for  a  long  time  a  mystery  to  Herman. 
He  had  his  old  days  of  mental  and  physical  prostration, 
when  he  kept  by  himself,  shunning  all  intercourse  with 
people,  but  they  were  less  numerous  and  did  not  seem  to 
distress  him  as  when  Herman  first  knew  him.  At  other 
times  his  mind  was  clear  and  active  and  he  displayed  a 
wonderful  insight  into  business  affairs  and  excellent  judg 
ment  in  everything.  He  also  seemed  to  know  exactly 
what  Herman  needed  to  rest  and  refresh  his  mind,  and 
led  him  into  the  discussion  of  literary  topics,  and  showed 
an  astonishing  familiarity  with  the  literature  of  the  world 
and  a  quaint  originality  of  thought  in  his  comments  upon 
works  and  authors.  With  it  all  there  was  a  pathetic  child 
like  simplicity  like  that  of  a  recluse  who  knew  nothing  of 
the  outside  world.  He  insisted  on  caring  for  his  own  room, 
and  kept  it  a  picture  of  neatness;  and  gradually  assumed 
charge  of  the  household,  purchasing  the  things  for  the 
larder  and  directing  the  cooking.  And  it  was  marvelous 
what  strong  soups  and  properly  cooked  viands  and  tender 
vegetables,  all  strength-producing  and  digestible,  appeared 
upon  the  table.  He  was  very  fond  of  flowers,  and  he 
worked  about  the  garden;  and  there  were  always  bunches 
of  flowers  about  the  house  carelessly  arranged,  but  with 
excellent  taste,  in  queer  little  vases  which  he  procured  from 
somewhere.  Col.  Morgan  and  the  Baron,  whom  he  permitted 
to  know  him  only  in  his  brighter  moments,  took  a  great  fancy 
to  him.  He  had  been  with  Herman  hardly  a  day  or  two 
when  he  became  very  inquisitive  about  his  private  financial 
affairs,  and  gradually  got  from  him  exact  statements  of 
every  debt  he  owed,  to  whom  and  under  what  conditions. 
Through  Col.  Morgan  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Capt. 
Monaghan,  Dr.  Vanderpool,  Herr  Lasalle  and  others  of 

519 


520  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

Herman's  friends  and  creditors.  One  day,  to  the  amaze 
ment  of  Herman,  he  called  him  into  his  room,  where  he 
had  a  little  writing  desk  that  he  rarely  used,  and  dis 
played  to  him  in  detail  the  promissory  notes  and  evidences 
of  debt  representing  all  his  debts,  cancelled  and  receipted, 
at  the  same  time  handing  him  for  his  signature  a  promissory 
note  for  the  amount  paid  in  satisfying  them,  payable  to  the 
order  of  David  Saterlee  on  or  before  five  years  after  date, 
with  interest  at  four  per  cent  per  annum. 

"  Now,  my  dear  friend,"  he  said  to  Herman,  "  I  have 
taken  a  great  liberty.  I,  however,  knew  how  anxious  you 
were  to  be  able  to  pay  your  debts  and  what  a  source  of  worry 
they  were  to  you,  feeling  that  your  friends,  the  creditors, 
might  need  the  money ;  and  as  I  am  not  as  nervously  strong 
as  I  used  to  be  and  in  my  lassitude  wished  to  avoid  a  dis 
cussion,  when  all  it  required  was  simple  action,  I  just 
paid  them.  I  thought  you  might  not  mind  being  in  debt 
to  an  old  man  who  has  no  kindred  now,  and  no  home  but 
yours  and  no  one  to  take  interest  in  him  but  you,  and 
has  no  need  of  the  money  for  his  own  little  necessities. 
If  you  do  not  like  the  terms  of  your  note  to  me,  make 
them  what  you  will,  ten  years  if  you  wish  and  a  lower  rate 
of  interest.  I  made  it  four  per  cent  as  that  is  what  most 
of  my  securities  net." 

Herman  was  completely  overcome.  He  got  up  and  stood 
at  the  window,  trying  to  suppress  his  emotion.  When  he 
was  able  to  control  himself,  he  turned  to  the  old  man,  who 
sat  looking  at  him,  nervously  fumbling  with  the  papers,  took 
his  hand  in  his  and  said: 

"May  God  bless  you,  my  dear  friend;  I  do  not  know 
how  to  express  my  gratitude  —  what  to  say  to  you.  It  is 
so  strange  to  me.  Indeed,  I  thought  you  were  very  poor; 
that  you  had  barely  enough  to  live  upon,  and  it  gave  me 
pleasure  to  think  that,  maybe,  I  was  contributing  towards 
your  peace  and  comfort  and  happiness  in  sharing  my 
home  with  you.  I  never  dreamed  that  you  could  make  any 
other  return  than  affection  for  me." 

"  I  know  it,  my  boy,  I  know  it,"  said  the  old  man, 
nervously,  "  and  you  are  bringing  a  sweetness  to  my  life  I 
never  expected  to  feel  again.  I  will  tell  you  briefly  about 
myself,  and  then  we  will  never  speak  of  it  again.  But 


DAVID  SATERLEE  AND  BEATRICE         521 

first  you  must  know  that  all  your  creditors  were  true, 
loyal  friends.  Not  one  of  them  would  consent  to  re 
ceive  the  money  until  they  were  assured  that  I  was  acting 
unselfishly  for  your  benefit  to  take  anxiety  and  care  from 
your  mind.  Now,  about  myself,  I  have  a  little  fortune. 
I  had  money  invested  in  good  redeemable  securities  when 
I  first  met  you.  I  have  since  sold  the  old  property  at  a 
handsome  price,  for  commercial  purposes.  I  purposely 
acted  the  role  of  miser  —  partly,  it  may  be,  from  the  prompt 
ing  of  a  disordered  mind,  but  with  method,  to  escape  an 
noyance  from  sharpers;  yet  principally  to  keep  my  pos 
sessions  for  some  good  purpose,  which  God  would  some  day 
disclose  to  me,  that  would  be  as  a  memorial  to  my  dear 
ones,  more  lasting  in  human  hearts  than  any  monument. 
Your  letter  seemed  to  come  to  me  as  a  direction  of  Prov 
idence,  so  I  bade  farewell  to  the  spot  where  my  darlings 
rest,  having  provided  for  its  perpetual  care  —  I  could  do 
this,  for  they  are  enshrined  in  my  heart  —  and  came  to 
make  my  home  with  you." 

One  evening  when  the  days  were  still  long,  little  Beatrice 
came  to  the  house,  with  a  basket  of  fruit,  sent  by  the 
Baron  from  Ruheplatz,  with  his  regards  to  David  Saterlee. 
Herman  called  him  from  his  room.  It  was  one  of  his 
days  of  lassitude.  He  had  never  seen  the  child  before  and 
when  his  glance  rested  on  her  he  turned  pale  and  staggered 
a  moment. 

"  My  God !  "  he  said  to  himself,  "  what  a  wonderful 
likeness  —  a  vision  of  my  own  child."  And  when  she  spoke, 
delivering  her  message  in  her  simple  way,  he  was  still  more 
overcome.  At  last,  he  said,  in  a  faint  voice: 

"  I  thank  you,  my  dear  child,  and  I  thank  your  dear 
father.  It  was  good  to  remember  a  poor  old  man.  And  I 
wish  you  to  come  to  see  me  again  two  days  from  now  —  I 
am  not  well  to-day.  Come  in  the  evening  just  at  this  hour. 
I  have  a  little  present  for  you,  and  I  want  to  talk  to  you 
about  a  little  girl  —  one  who  is  far  away  —  who  was  so  very, 
very  like  you." 

Beatrice  came  at  the  appointed  time,  and  the  old  man, 
his  bright  moments  returned,  welcomed  her  eagerly,  gazed 
at  her  intently  for  a  moment,  an  expression  of  longing  on 
his  face,  and  then  took  her  hand  and  led  her  out  into 


522  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

the  garden  and  had  her  sit  beside  him  on  a  rustic  seat. 
He  took  from  his  pocket  a  finely  wrought,  delicate  little 
gold  chain  on  which  hung  an  enameled  cross. 

"  I  want  you  to  have  and  wear  this,  Beatrice/'  he  said 
gently,  "  because  it  belonged  to  the  little  girl  far  away 
who  had  a  face  and  voice  very,  very  much  like  yours, 
and  who  was  more  dear  to  me  than  you,  my  child,  could 
understand;  and  whenever  you  take  it  off  or  put  it  on, 
you  must  say,  '  God  bless  the  old  man's  darling/  '''  And 
then  he  talked  to  her  in  a  sweet  and  simple  way,  in  a 
language  a  child  could  understand  and  about  things  that 
captivated  her;  and  they  walked  together  through  the 
garden  and  looked  at  the  flowers  and  plants  and  Beatrice 
chatted  with  her  white-haired  companion  as  if  he  were  a 
playmate.  When  she  went  away,  she  promised  to  come  to 
see  him  as  often  as  she  could  gain  permission,  and  thanked 
him  again  for  the  chain  and  said  she  would  never  forget 
the  little  prayer.  They  became  fast  friends,  and  Beatrice 
loved  to  be  with  him.  He  told  her  beautiful  stories,  such 
fairy  tales  as  she  had  never  read  in  her  books,  and  helped 
her  in  her  lessons,  explaining  her  studies  to  her  in  a  way 
that  made  them  attractive  stories.  One  of  his  tales  was 
about  a  fairy  godfather,  and  she  had  him  repeat  it  over 
and  over  again,  and  each  time  he  seemed  to  embellish  it  with 
new  and  more  curious  things.  She  gave  him  the  name  of 
Fairy  Godfather  and  to  his  delight,  always  called  him  thus. 
He  told  her  that  many  little  girls  had  fairy  godmothers, 
but  it  was  a  great  privilege  to  have  a  fairy  godfather;  that 
it  was  only  granted  by  the  queen  after  the  whole  fairy 
court  had  given  its  sanction,  and  only  to  little  girls  whose 
hearts  had  in  them  love  and  compassion  for  old  people 
and  who  helped  to  cheer  them  and,  if  they  were  poor  or 
suffering,  to  aid  them.  That  the  only  one  who  could  be  a 
fairy  godfather  was  some  lonely  old  man  who  loved  chil 
dren  and  who  had  become  softened  and  very  kind  and 
gentle  from  sorrowing  for  wife  and  little  ones  taken  from 
him  by  God  to  a  heavenly  home. 

The  Fairy  Godfather  had  a  confidential  talk  with 
Beatrice's  father,  after  which  he  asked  her  if  she  would 
like  to  have  him  as  a  teacher,  at  which  she  clapped  her 
hands  and  said  it  would  be  great  fun  to  have  a  fairy  god- 


DAVID  SATERLEE  AND  BEATRICE         523 

father  to  teach  her.  So  it  was  arranged  that  she  must  go 
to  school  to  him  every  day  for  an  hour;  and  he  selected 
books  for  her  and  taught  her, —  in  such  an  interesting  way 
that  it  charmed  her  and  she  could  not  help  learning, —  gram 
mar,  rhetoric,  poetry,  history,  literature  and  the  languages, 
moulding  her  mind  to  the  comprehension,  love  and  appre 
ciation  of  the  true  and  the  refined  and  chaste  in  knowledge. 
It  became  a  great  delight  to  him;  he  renewed  the  happiness 
of  his  companionship  with  his  dead  child,  and  he  became 
brighter  and  more  like  what  must  have  been  his  brilliant 
personality  before  the  heavy  blow  fell  upon  him.  And  his 
periods  of  prostration  grew  still  less  frequent  and  less 
distressing. 

The  months  rolled  by  until  Advent  had  come  again. 
Herman  had  become  a  strong  man,  with  heart  for  work, 
and  mind  at  peace.  Capt.  Seymour  had  returned  and  taken 
up  another  branch  of  work  in  St.  Agnes,  and  Bucknill  and 
his  bride  were  installed  in  a  little  home  in  the  town.  The 
tragic  death  of  Walter  Stanley  had  shocked  and  for  a 
time  subdued  and  saddened  Anna.  But  her  fondness  of 
him,  as  her  father  and  sister  had  believed,  was  but  a 
girl's  fancy  and  had  not  in  it  the  elements  of  true  love. 
The  revelation  of  his  real  character  was  what  affected  her 
most  and  she  clung  closer  to  her  father  and  sister  when 
she  thought  of  what  might  have  been  her  fate.  She  re 
ceived  Capt.  Seymour  with  some  shyness,  but  with  much 
of  her  old  childlike  naivety  that  characterized  their  in 
tercourse  before  her  infatuation  for  Stanley.  The  Captain 
had  the  tact  not  to  quote  the  "  Lady  of  Lyons  "  to  her  or 
display  any  mock  gallantry.  They,  therefore,  came  to 
gether  and  enjoyed  each  other's  society,  with  nothing  to 
make  them  ill  at  ease. 

Carmelita  was  horrified  at  the  exposure  of  Stanley's 
blackheartedness  and  his  terrible  punishment;  and  she  was 
mortified  and  ashamed  at  her  own  folly  and  she  lost  all 
her  willfulness  and  permitted  herself  submissively  to  be 
guided  by  the  wishes  and  wisdom  of  her  mother  and  god 
father.  Pancho  discreetly  kept  apart  from  her  until  she 
had  time  to  recover  from  her  mortification,  and  when  he  met 
her,  it  was  as  though  nothing  had  ever  occurred  to  affect 
their  old  friendship;  and  she  appreciated  it  and  her  heart 


524  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

warmed  to  him,  and  the  love  that  he  had  tried  so  hard 
to  awaken  within  her  at  last  came  and  she  returned  his 
affection.  Once  more  he  asked  her  to  be  his  wife.  And 
this  time  there  were  no  visions  of  gay  dresses  and  jewels  and 
luxuries  and  journeys  abroad  to  entice  her  away  from  the 
simple  and  loyal  devotion  of  this  child  of  her  own  people, 
and  she  consented;  and  it  was  understood  that  the  wedding 
day  should  be  fixed  as  soon  as  the  Supreme  Court  decided 
her  mother's  case,  which  Herman  said  would  be  very  soon. 
In  the  meanwhile  they  sang  and  played  together  and  took 
beautiful  walks,  two  happy  children.  One  day  in  one  of 
their  strolls  they  passed  the  home  of  Col.  Morgan.  The 
Colonel  and  Martha  were  leaning  on  the  fence  enjoying 
the  sunset  glow  upon  mountain  and  ocean.  They  stopped 
and  exchanged  a  few  words,  and  went  happily  on  their 
way.  Col.  Morgan  looked  after  them,  with  a  smile  on  his 
face,  saying: 

"  They  are  very  merry  children,  Martha,  and  will  be 
a  happy  couple." 

Then,  looking  at   Martha  lovingly,  he  continued: 

"  It  would  really  be  a  source  of  peace  and  pleasure  to 
me,  if  my  dear,  good  daughter  Martha,  who  has  all  the 
graces  to  make  a  true  man  happy,  would  find  a  life's 
companion  and  protector  noble  enough  for  her,  and  be  the 
mistress  of  her  own  home,  before  God  calls  me  away." 

Martha  blushed  and  said: 

"  And  do  you  wish,  dear  Papa,  to  have  your  daughter 
leave  you  in  your  old  age?  Does  she  not  do  something 
to  bring  comfort  and  pleasure  to  you ;  and  would  you  not 
miss  her  just  a  little  bit?  " 

"  Indeed,  my  dear  child,  I  did  not  think  of  such  a  great 
sacrifice  and  I  hardly  believe  I  could  bear  it,  to  have 
you  go  away  where  I  could  never  see  your  sweet  face  and 
hear  your  loving  voice  and  have  often  your  presence  by 
me.  I  do  not  see  why  you  should  fly  to  some  remote  spot; 
I  do  not  imagine  you  are  awaiting  some  foreign  knight  to 
bear  you  to  another  country.  I  would  of  course  expect  to 
know  and  admire,  if  not  to  have  an  affection  for  the 
favored  one.  Is  there  no  one  in  our  midst  that  has  gained 
admittance  to  your  heart,  or  if  he  knocked  might  find  af 
fectionate  welcome?  " 


DAVID  SATERLEE  AND  BEATRICE         525 

Martha  blushed  more  deeply  and  cast  her  eyes  on  the 
ground,  and  said: 

"  Dear  Papa,  I  have  let  no  one  win  away  my  devotion 
to  you  and  Anna,  and  it  has  been  my  purpose  to  never 
leave  you  as  long  as  God  blessed  us  with  your  life.  I 
always  thought  that  it  would  grieve  you  to  have  me  divide 
my  devotion  to  another.  Is  there  in  St.  Agnes,  Papa, 
anyone  you  know,  and  know  to  be  a  true  man  and  one  for 
whom  you  have  an  affection,  and  that  you  think  would 
put  up  with  my  peculiarities?  " 

The  Colonel  looked  at  her  fondly,  and  as  she  glanced 
at  him  furtively,  she  caught  a  quizzical  gleam  in  his  eye,  as 
he  said: 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  know  one  that  would  admire,  respect 
and  love  my  daughter,  and  who  has  character  enough  to 
appreciate  her  virtues,  and  who  would  be  true,  loyal  and 
faithful  and  would  never  wantonly  wound  her." 

"  O  dearest  Papa,  if  you  were  a  young  man  and  came 
wooing  to  me  for  another,  as  you  are  doing,  I  would  cer 
tainly  say,  '  speak  for  yourself.'  And  do  you  think,  Papa, 
that  this  mythical  being  could  be  as  patient  as  you  and 
put  up  with  all  the  whims  and  humors  of  your  spoiled  and 
willful  child  ?  "  And  do  you  not  believe  that  this  same 
wilful  child  who  has  had  such  a  noble,  thoughtful,  re 
fined,  sweet-tempered  father  to  love  and  look  up  to,  would 
be  making  comparisons  that  would  be  to  the  disparage 
ment  of  the  usurper  ?  " 

"  You  need  have  no  fear,  my  child ;  our  imaginary  con 
sort  would  consider  the  peculiarities  of  his  lady-love, 
original  graces  of  her  character  that  would  make  her  more 
winning,  and  in  her  love  for  him,  the  characteristics  of  her 
old  father  that  endear  him  to  her  will  be  but  added  to  the 
treasures  of  her  affections,  and  each  give  lustre  to  the 
other.  But  here  comes  one  we  both  know  well.  I  wonder 
if  he  was  conjured  by  our  words.  " 

Herman  was  approaching.  He  came  to  them,  his  face 
lighted  up  with  pleasure,  and  said: 

"  I  have  some  very  good  news  and  I  come  with  it  first 
to  my  dearest  friends.  I  have  won  the  El  Roblar  Viejo 
suits;  the  supreme  court  has  just  decided  in  our  favor." 

Both  father  and  daughter  congratulated  him  warmly. 


526  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  It  must  make  you  very  happy,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said 
Martha,  "  the  blessing  this  will  be  to  Senora  Valenzuela 
and  her  daughter  and  to  old  Antonio,  to  say  nothing  of 
El  Erizo." 

"  Indeed,  I  believe  I  can  say  truthfully,"  replied  Her 
man,  "  that  this  to  me  is  the  sweetest  part  of  the  triumph, 
though  to  me  personally  it  means  a  great  deal.  But  I 
have  another  piece  of  news  which  gives  me  great  pleasure. 
I  have  a  letter  just  received  that  I  know  will  interest  and 
amuse  you,"  and  he  handed  it  to  Martha  who  said: 

"Oh,  read  it  aloud,  Mr.  Thomas,  so  that  we  may  enjoy 
it  together." 

Herman  said  he  was  sorry,  but  he  had  not  the  time ;  that 
he  must  see  Senora  Valenzuela  and  Antonio  at  once,  and 
hurried  away,  leaving  it  with  her,  and  she  read  it  to 
her  father.  It  was  dated  at  San  Salvador,  187 — ,  and 
was  as  follows: 

"My  dear  Old  Comrade: 

"  I  wonder  if  I  have  been  buried  away  in  one  of  your  dust- 
grimed  pigeonholes  where  discarded  instruments  and  antique 
records  are  stowed  and  only  accidently  thought  of  or  looked 
at;  or  if  I  occasionally  bound  into  your  memory  an  imp  of 
grotesque  inconsequence;  or  if  it  is,  as  this  queer  composition 
of  devil-may-care  fickleness,  loyalty,  indifference  and  senti 
ment  would  have  it,  that  I  steal  at  times  into  your  thoughts 
with  the  '  enchanted  violin,'  and  charm  you  back  to  the  dear 
old  times, —  not  so  very  old,  but,  it  seem  to  me,  very  far 
back  in  the  past, —  when  we  invoked  so  much  joyousness 
and  mirth  and  music  and  warm  good-fellowship  from  the 
wonderful  resources  of  little  St.  Agnes.  Ah,  those  were 
really  bright  and  diverting  times,  to  the  few  of  us  who 
could  catch  and  comprehend  the  flashes  of  genius  and  quaint 
conceits  and  original  humor  in  the  eccentric  characters  that 
had  their  habitation  in  that  nook  among  so  many  charms 
of  nature.  In  thinking  of  them,  I  only  see  the  happy 
pictures  and  feel  the  bewitching  atmosphere  of  sentiment, 
and  the  moments  of  unrest  and  gloom  and  self-weariness 
and  disgust  have  faded  away.  I  hope  that  the  choice  spirits 
I  left  behind  when  I  rode  off  on  that  wingless  Pegasus 
still  hold  sweet  concourse,  and  dream  enchanting  dreams 


DAVID  SATERLEE  AND  BEATRICE         527 

to  the  magic  of  the  Baron's  '  Traiimerei,'  and  that  the 
pathetic  voice  of  old  Joe  instills  tear-provoking  tender 
ness  in  your  sympathetic  hearts;  that  the  Captain  has  come 
back  to  quote  poetry  and  send  forth  deep  sighs  with  the 
smoke  of  his  pipe,  whilst  in  his  melancholy  he  cracks  dry 
jokes  and  diverts  with  his  mimicry.  And  how  is  our  old 
friend, —  that  prince  of  chivalry  and  kindliness, —  Col. 
Morgan,  and  his  fair  daughters,  whose  home  inspired  the 
display  of  all  the  refined  and  elevating  in  our  talents  when 
we  gave  them  freedom  in  the  warmth  of  its  hospitality? 
And  is  Dr.  Barton  and  his  plaintive  tenor  still  with  you? 
And  the  wild  Highlander  with  his  corrugated  calves,  and  the 
patriotic  Welshman,  with  his  boasting  and  his  broad 
shoulders?  And  our  worthy  host  of  the  St.  Louis,  who 
has  lined  our  aristocratic  stomachs  with  so  many  choice 
viands  ?  My  blessing  on  you  all.  And  now,  ami  cheri, 
I  am  sure  you  are  impatient  to  know  to  what  strange  des 
tiny  my  Pegasus  has  borne  me,  and  I  will  tell  you.  He 
did  not  stop  until  he  reached  this  tropical  land  of  plenty, 
where  hearts,  like  the  weather,  are  warm  and  the  stranger, 
unless  he  himself  be  cold  and  repellent,  is  welcomed  with 
open  arms.  When  first  I  dismounted  in  this  beautiful  spot 
I  felt  that  my  journeying  for  fortune  and  heart's  ease  was 
at  an  end.  You  know  how  the  demi-tasse  was  always  with 
me  the  most  delicious  part  of  the  feast,  and  the  care  our 
good  Latour  devoted  to  make  its  strength  herculean  and 
its  bouquet  ravishing.  The  air  was  impregnated  with  the 
delicate  aroma  of  the  coffee  bean  and  I  said  to  my  Pegasus, 
'  Go  hence  and  graze  where  you  will,  here  I  remain ;  in 
coffee  will  I  find  my  fortune  and  its  perfume  shall  be  my 
solace  and  my  intoxication.'  And  I  spoke  in  prophecy. 
With  this  dolce  far  niente  people  my  commercial  experi 
ence,  modern  business  methods,  energy  and  rapid  decision 
and  action,  I  soon  made  tell;  succeeded  in  finding  a  place 
in  the  establishment  of  a  prominent  coffee  merchant,  have 
now  an  interest  in  the  concern,  and  this  day  find  myself 
able  to  send  something  towards  making  good  the  loss  I 
innocently  brought  upon  my  good  old  St.  Agnes  partner. 
But  this  is  not  my  fortune;  this  does  not  constitute  the 
solace  or  my  intoxication ;  these  are  with  me  and  come  not 
from  the  fragrant  beans  that  turn  to  gold,  sweeter,  more 


528  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

subtle  than  any  spirit  that  rises  from  the  wealth  of  matter. 
You  have  often  spoken  of  the  magic  music  of  my  enchanted 
violin.  But  there  is  a  music,  the  first  breath  of  which  now 
steals  upon  my  ear,  whose  spell  is  more  entrancing,  more 
soul  satisfying  than  my  dear  violin  has  ever  poured  forth. 
Oh,  the  divine  melody,  the  heavenly  harmony  of  —  the  wed 
ding  bells !  She  is  beautiful,  and  very  gentle  and  gifted 
and  childlike,  and  —  try  imagine  it  —  she  loves  this  poor 
wayward  waif.  Ah,  mon  ami,  I  know  my  violin  has  sent 
forth  beautiful  strains  and  the  Baron's  cello  has  power  to 
woo  you  to  happy  dreamland  and  poor  Joe  works  a  spell 
upon  your  senses,  and  sweeter  to  you  than  these,  the  voice 
of  a  dear  one  that  carries  in  song  to  heaven  the  plea  from 
your  own  heart, 

'  And  the   spell-bound  soul,  too,   free 
Of  mournful  me/  " 

(here  Martha's  face  reddened  and  her  voice  hesitated) ; 
"  but  more  exquisite  than  all,  than  even  the  beloved  maiden's 
song,  are  the  carols  from  the  sky,  the  wedding  bells.  Go, 
my  dear  friend,  and  tell  this  maiden  about  this  music  from 
the  heavens;  tell  her  that  there  is  no  harmony  on  earth 
so  perfect  as  the  blending  of  two  souls  and  no  expression 
of  it  more  melodious,  more  joyous,  more  exultant,  more 
entrancing  than  the  wedding  bells.  They  have  just  burst 
forth  in  all  the  glory  of  their  paean  of  joy,  and  the  carriage 
is  awaiting  me,  and  I  go  to  my  new  life,  closing  the  old  one, 
as  my  heart  prompted,  with  a  message  of  love  to  him  who 
brought  into  it  a  brightness  and  a  despair-dispelling,  saving 
spirit. 

"  Your    devoted 

"  SlGISMUND." 


CHAPTER  LIX 

WEDDING  BELLS 

"  FAIRY  GODFATHER,  are  Mr.  Herman  and  Miss  Martha 
going  to  be  married  ?  "  said  Beatrice  as  she  was  going  away, 
after  her  lesson. 

"  Why,  gracious  me,  heavens  above,  child;  what  a  question 
to  put  to  your  Fairy  Godfather !  "  exclaimed  the  old  man. 
"  I  know  a  great  deal  about  the  doings  of  fairies,  but  that 
is  something  I  could  not  answer.  What  put  such  an  idea 
in  that  wise  little  head  ?  " 

"  Well,  Fairy  Godfather,  Mamma  says  she  knows  they 
are  in  love  with  each  other,  and  Papa  says  women  always 
are  right  about  these  things,  and  he  guesses  it  is  true;  and 
both  Mamma  and  Papa  say  that  they  just  suit  each  other 
and  would  make  a  splendid  couple.  And  I  would  so  like  to 
go  to  a  fine  wedding." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  when  I  find  out  all  about  it  I  will  let 
you  know;  and  I  would  see  that  my  little  godchild  receives 
an  invitation,  not  only  to  the  wedding  but  to  the  wedding 
breakfast.  Good-by,  and  be  careful  not  to  ask  this  ques 
tion  of  any  others;  they  may  not  be  as  discreet  as  your 
mamma  and  papa  and  your  silent  old  Fairy  Godfather." 

This  set  David  Saterlee  thinking  very  seriously  and  he 
went  into  his  room  and  sat  down  at  his  writing  desk,  and 
wrote  his  will.  It  did  not  seem  to  be  much  of  a  task  to 
him  and  apparently  afforded  him  great  gratification. 
After  a  legacy  of  a  tenth  of  his  property  to  the  St.  Agnes 
Orphanage,  he  left  the  remainder,  one-half  to  Herman  and 
one-half  to  Herman  and  the  Baron  in  trust  for  Beatrice, 
for  her  education  and  her  maintenance,  during  her  life,  and 
the  principal,  upon  her  death,  to  her  children,  if  any;  and 
if  none,  to  her  parents. 

While  the  old  man  was  thus  engaged,  Herman  sat  in  his 
office  planning  in  his  mind  the  course  to  pursue  to  get  the 

Itt 


*SO     ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

greatest  value  out  of  the  interest  in  El  Roblar  Viejo  he 
had  been  the  means  of  rescuing.  Dr.  Vanderpool  had  just 
left  him,  with  whom  he  had  been  discussing  the  matter, 
and  who  wished  to  include,  if  practicable,  the  Domingo 
Ortega  tract  in  any  negotiations  he  might  enter  into  for 
the  sale  of  the  Valenzuela  and  Antonio  interests.  He  still 
believed  it  had  great  speculative  value,  but  he  was  growing 
old  and  he,  like  Herman,  had  made  unfortunate  ventures 
and  was  in  debt.  El  Erizo  had  expressed  his  desire  to 
retire  from  the  freight  transportation  business,  sell  his 
rancho  and  with  his  sons  start  a  livery  stable  and  teaming 
business  in  St.  Agnes,  where,  under  the  watchful  eye  of 
Father  Aloysius,  he  was  not  in  so  much  danger  of  getting 
into  the  clutches  of  the  devil.  "  Now/'  thought  Herman, 
"  I  am  well  prepared  to  entertain  a  proposition  from  Sir 
Roger  Stanworth;"  and  he  took  up  his  pen  to  indite  him  a 
letter.  A  shadow  was  thrown  across  the  sheet  of  paper ; 
looking  up  he  saw  standing  in  the  doorway  a  gentleman 
immaculately  dressed,  wearing  a  glossy  silk  hat  and  carrying 
a  jeweled  cane.  It  was  Sir  Roger  himself,  looking  not  a 
day  older  and  with  the  same  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  Why,  my  dear  Sir  Roger !  "  exclaimed  Herman,  leap 
ing  to  his  feet,  "  I  am  certainly  delighted  to  see  you;  I 
had  just  taken  up  my  pen  to  write  to  you.  Have  you  come 
back  to  teach  Mulcahy  some  new  tricks  with  the  shilla- 
lah?" 

"  Not  solely  for  that  purpose,  although  our  friend  from 
the  Emerald  Isle  did,  I  confess,  renew  my  relish  for  the 
manly  sport  and  I  have  taken  a  few  lessons  since  I  saw 
you.  There  is  another  gentleman  whom  I  met  a  few 
minutes  ago,  who  I  am  sure  views  me  with  suspicion  and 
thinks  that  I  may  be  on  another  errand  —  our  old  ac 
quaintance  who  built  the  '  ouse  with  the  ollow  walls.'  He 
was  standing  in  front  of  its  site,  looking  surlily  at  what  is 
left  of  its  ruins,  and  was  rather  startled  when  I  came  up 
beside  him  and  inquired  if  he  had  collected  the  insurance. 
Taken  off  his  guard  he  blurted  out,  '  The  hinsurance  was 
paid,  but  that  hold  og  General  Donaldson  swiped  hall  the 
profits.'  " 

Herman  laughed  heartily  and  informed  Sir  Roger  that 
when  it  came  to  investigating  the  loss  by  the  insurance  com- 


WEDDING  BELLS  531 

pany,  the  people  were  astonished  at  the  receipted  bills  pro 
duced  by  the  owner,  verified  by  him  and  his  architect  and 
the  furniture  dealer.  No  one  had  any  idea  of  the  expen 
sive  work  that  went  into  the  house  and  the  rare  furnishings, 
bric-a-brac  and  pictures  with  which  it  was  garnished.  The 
company  did  not  pay  without  a  contest  and  General  Don 
aldson  acted  as  his  attorney  and  succeeded  eventually  in  col 
lecting  it. 

"  The  General/'  concluded  Herman,  "  I  know  to  be  a 
long-headed  man  and  doubtless  managed  to  have  the  fund 
go  through  his  hands  and  exercised  his  right  of  stoppage 
in  transitu." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Sir  Roger,  "  I  have  no  doubt 
you  divine  the  true  object  of  my  return  to  St.  Agnes.  I  am 
in  position  to  treat  with  you  and  your  clients  concerning 
El  Roblar  Viejo  Rancho.  You  can  take  to  yourself  the 
credit  of  having  clipped  the  wings  of  that  gentleman  whom 
some  of  our  acquaintances  are  unkind  enough  to  term  a 
bird  of  prey,  so  that  he  became  amenable  to  reason,  and  I 
now  hold  an  option  on  the  company's  interests ;  and  whether 
or  not  the  deal  goes  through  depends  upon  you  and  your 
clients  with  whom  I  am  willing  to  treat  for  their  holdings 
for  the  same  price  in  proportion  as  I  will  pay  the  com 
pany." 

"  It  will  not  take  us  long  to  decide,"  replied  Herman, 
"  and  I  am  ready  to  give  you  a  good  title,  as  the  court  of 
last  resort  has  just  decided  in  our  favor.  You  can  also,  if 
you  wish,  acquire  the  Dr.  Vanderpool  and  the  Olivera 
tracts." 

"  Yes,  we  desire  to  purchase  all,  if  it  can  be  done  at  a 
reasonable  figure." 

They  discussed  the  matter  and  came  to  an  agreement 
as  to  price  and  terms  of  sale,  which  was  put  into  writing; 
they  then  went  out  to  find  Dr.  Vanderpool.  As  they 
reached  the  corner  of  Main  Street,  they  saw  Mr.  Crawson 
approaching.  When  opposite  the  drugstore,  General 
Donaldson  bounded  out,  seized  the  cockney  by  his  black 
beard,  and  delivered  a  series  of  vigorous  blows  on  eyes 
and  nose  that  sounded  like  the  thuds  of  a  pile  driver. 

"You  insulted  me,  sir!"  ejaculated  the  General:  thud, 
"  You  dared  to  insult  an  officer  and  a  gentleman !  "  thud. 


532  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

"  You  cannot  insult  a  Southerner  with  impunity ! " 
thud.  "  I  will  teach  you  a  lesson,  sir !  "  thud. 

"  Don't,  General,  don't,  please,  don't !  "  kept  crying  the 
victim,  struggling  to  break  loose.  Finally  he  broke  away, 
leaving  with  his  assailant  a  handful  of  whiskers,  and  placed 
between  himself  and  the  enemy  a  hitching  bar  where  he 
stood,  the  blood  running  over  his  face,  ready  to  dodge  any 
further  attack  by  the  General.  Feeling  assured  that  his 
unwieldy  proportions  would  prevent  the  enemy's  getting  at 
him  again,  he  commenced  to  upbraid  him: 

"  You're  a  d — d  coward !  Yes  you  hare.  You're  a 
d — d,  bloated  og  and  a  bully !  Why  don't  you  strike  one 
hof  your  hown  size  ? "  Whereupon  the  Honorable  Wm. 
McElhenny,  who  was  enjoying  the  incident  with  a  number 
of  others  that  had  gathered  about,  caught  a  small  boy  by 
the  arm  and  said  to  him: 

"  Run  as  hard  as  you  can  to  the  St.  Louis  Hotel  and 
tell  Mr.  Latour  to  come  here  at  once.  He's  the  only  man 
of  the  General's  size  in  town." 

That  same  evening  the  deal  with  Sir  Roger  for  all  the 
properties  he  sought  to  acquire  was  closed,  and  a  sub 
stantial  sum  paid  as  earnest  money;  and  before  the  new 
year  came  the  balance  was  remitted.  Michael  Reese  re 
ceived  the  money  loaned  with  its  fat  interest,  and  always 
said  afterwards  that  he  had  been  the  means  of  making 
that  young  lawyer  Thomas.  Howells  was  properly  re 
warded;  but  he  spoke  truthfully  when  he  said  that  for 
Herman  he  would  gladly  have  done  what  he  did  and  much 
more,  without  hope  of  reward.  They  were  fast  friends, 
and  subsequently  when  the  detective  had  retired  from  active 
work  and  spent  much  of  his  time  in  St.  Agnes,  he  took 
pleasure  in  rehearsing  to  him  the  most  interesting  and  ex 
citing  of  his  ventures  in  the  secret  service,  and  Herman 
chronicled  them,  he  said,  to  some  day  weave  them  into  a 
romance. 

The  bans  of  Pancho  and  Carmelita  were  published  the 
Sunday  after  Sir  Roger's  visit,  and  in  Christmas  week, 
amid  all  the  rejoicing  of  the  happy  season,  followed  by 
the  sincere  wishes  for  a  life  filled  with  happiness  of  true 
friends  of  their  own  kindred  and  people  and  many  whose 
affections  they  had  won  of  those  that  had  come  from 


WEDDING  BELLS  533 

abroad  to  make  their  home  in  St.  Agnes,  and  bearing  the 
fervent  blessing  of  him  who  had  been  the  keeper  of  their 
consciences,  their  good  angel,  their  rescuer,  they  went  to 
the  altar  with  childlike  joy  in  their  hearts  and  vowed  to 
each  other  fidelity  and  love  in  the  atmosphere  of  sanctity, 
and  by  holy  sacrament  became  man  and  wife. 

The  Baron  and  his  wife  and  Beatrice,  who  was  spending 
her  holidays  at  Ruheplatz,  had  come  into  town  to  the  wed 
ding  and  were  the  guests  of  Col.  Morgan.  The  Baron 
brought  his  cello,  as  Martha  had  arranged  for  an  evening 
of  music,  thinking  it  would  be  a  fit  supplement  to  the 
wedding  bells.  How  she  had  listened  that  morning  to  those 
wedding  bells  as  she  thought  of  Sigismund's  rhapsody,  and 
she  wondered  if  she  could  detect  the  "  divine  melody,  the 
heavenly  harmony  "  of  those  "  carols  from  the  sky,"  and 
if,  in  truth,  they  ever  voice  this  perfect  harmony,  the 
"  blending  of  two  souls." 

They  were  the  same  old  friends  the  reader  knows  that 
gathered  at  the  Colonel's  that  evening,  except  that  the 
wizard  with  the  enchanted  violin  had  gone  and  the  Fairy 
Godfather  had  come.  The  Fairy  Godfather  was  very  fond 
of  music,  and  there  was  no  better  critic,  and  he  was  a 
sympathetic  listener.  All  seemed  to  have  been  inspired 
by  the  day's  joyous  event,  and  sang  with  spirit  and  feeling, 
and  the  Baron's  cello  had,  if  anything,  more  sweetness  and 
yearning  in  it  drawn  from  the  echoes  of  the  wedding  bells; 
and  Dr.  Barton's  guitar  kept  his  voice  captive  to  the 
sweetest  of  the  Chilian  love  songs.  Beatrice  too  felt  the 
spell,  and  in  an  interval  in  the  concert  proposed  that  they 
play  wedding. 

"  Fairy  Godfather  will  be  the  priest,"  she  said,  "  Miss 
Martha  will  be  the  bride  and  Mr.  Thomas  the  groom,  and 
I  will  be  the  bridesmaid ;  and  Grandpa  Colonel  will  give  the 
bride  away  and  Papa  will  play  the  wedding  march.  Oh, 
it  will  be  such  fun.  And  Miss  Anna,  you  can  be  one  of 
the  guests,  and  say,  '  How  sweet  the  bride  looks !  '  Well, 
if  you  won't  play  getting  married,  Miss  Martha,  won't  you 
promise  to  let  me  be  your  bridesmaid  at  your  real  wed 
ding?  " 

Martha's  face  seemed  quite  flushed,  and  she  said: 

"  I  do  not  know  anyone  whom  I  would  rather  have  as  a 


584  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

bridesmaid  than  my  dear  Beatrice,  if  she  can  wait  a  long, 
long  time ;  "  and  she  turned  on  the  piano  stool,  where  she 
had  been  sitting,  to  the  piano  and  played  a  waltz  and  then 
got  up  and  walked  into  the  garden.  Presently  Herman, 
unnoticed  by  the  others,  went  out.  Martha  was  standing 
under  the  pepper  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  moving  lacework 
of  its  shadows,  looking  pensively  at  the  ocean,  a  gleaming 
sheet  of  silver.  Herman  joined  her,  and  offering  his  arm, 
asked  her  if  she  would  not  walk  with  him.  She 
nodded  assent  and  took  his  arm,  and  they  strolled  about 
the  garden.  It  was  just  such  a  night  as  that  of  the 
Morgan's  first  musicale.  The  same  clear  sky,  the  same 
mischievous  moon,  the  balmy  air,  the  gentle  ocean  breeze, 
the  dancing  shadows,  the  orchestra  of  frogs  and  insects. 
As  they  passed  the  wall  where  Herman  discovered  Sigis- 
mund  in  his  despair,  he  thought  of  the  great  joy  that  had 
banished  his  wild  unrest  and  self-hatred  and  the  magic 
that  had  wrought  it.  Turning  to  Martha,  he  pointed  out 
the  spot,  told  her  of  the  incident,  and  then  asked  her  if 
she  did  not  think  that  love  was  the  greatest  wizard  in  the 
world,  and  if  the  enraptured  words  of  Sigismund  in  his 
letter  were  not  true:  that  there  was  no  harmony  on  earth 
like  the  blending  of  two  souls. 

"  Musicians  and  poets,"  she  said,  "  while  in  their  ec 
stasies  believe  such  things;  but  when  they  descend  from 
their  flights  and  find  beside  them  not  an  angel,  but  a 
woman,  with  her  weakness  and  her  whims,  her  common 
place,  her  worldliness,  the  wedding  bells,  with  most,  sound 
from  the  past  dead  and  tuneless,  and  their  echoes  often 
bring,  instead  of  joy,  regret." 

"  In  such  a  case,"  said  Herman,  "  there  never  was  the 
perfect  harmony.  But  if  the  two  have  kindred  tastes, 
common  purposes,  like  standards  of  right  and  wrong,  and 
both  are  moved  by  sacred  things  and  their  love  refined 
and  spiritualized  above  the  earth  and  its  objects,  the  union 
of  two  lives  brings  enduring  happiness.  In  the  sweet  com 
panionship,  there  is  no  commonplace,  and  the  irritating 
rough  and  rasping  things  of  life  are  in  the  sweet  influence 
of  affection  like  those  jagged  spots  on  the  mountain's 
side  that,  softened  by  the  moonbeams,  blend  into  the  beauty 
of  its  features." 


WEDDING  BELLS  535 

"  You,  Mr.  Thomas,  like  your  friend  Sigismund,"  said 
Martha,  "  I  fear  interpret  real  life  by  the  touch-stone  of 
your  fancy.  Like  that  poet  musician,  you  are  a  dreamer." 

"  I  was  a  dreamer,  and  dwelt  in  the  pleasures  of  my 
imagination  and  it  was  the  great  intoxication  of  my  life. 
But  I  am  no  longer  such;  this  and  other  follies  of  my 
youth  I  have  torn  from  me.  You  remember  the  Sunday 
when  we  walked  together  from  the  Mission,  and  I  provoked 
from  you  the  words  that  put  such  great  sadness  in  my 
heart.  I  call  it  my  '  gray  Sunday.'  I  am  a  different  man 
from  what  I  was  then,  stronger,  more  certain  of  myself, 
conscious  that  I  can  deny  myself  in  all  things  that  would 
degrade  me  or  bring  unhappiness  to  others;  that  I  am  so 
much  better  prepared  to  bear  and  forbear  in  my  intercourse 
with  my  fellows.  The  purpose  of  my  life  has  defined  itself 
and,  with  God's  assistance,  I  will  carry  it  out.  It  has  in 
it  no  hopes  of  great  distinction,  no  prospects  of  public 
preferment  or  brilliant  accomplishment,  something  scarcely 
possible  in  my  limited  sphere  of  labor,  but  it  is  one  that 
can  bear  fruit  in  an  humble  way  to  make  of  my  profes 
sion  a  ministry  to  others'  happiness.  Believing  in  my 
self  now,  and  knowing  how  close  together  we  are  in  the 
things  that  afford  the  true  happiness  in  life,  and  the  con 
sciousness  that  I  could  be  some  help  and  comfort  to  you 
and  that  my  love  for  you  alone  would  ennoble  my  nature 
above  the  commission  of  any  act  that  would  shock  or  wound 
you,  I  have  at  last  gained  the  courage  to  ignore  what  was 
your  answer  on  that  gray  Sunday,  and  beg  you  again  to  be 
my  wife." 

Martha  for  many  minutes  did  not  respond,  then  she  said 
gently,  with  faltering  voice,  that  since  that  gray  Sunday 
the  affection  that  she  then  bore  for  him  had  grown  into 
something  deeper  and  more  tender;  that  she  had  sounded 
her  heart  and  now  could  give  him  her  love,  conscious  of 
its  sincerity;  and,  as  her  father  had  let  her  know  that  in 
stead  of  distressing  him  their  marriage  would  bring  him 
pleasure,  she  would  become  his  bride. 

Following  the  announcement  of  Herman's  and  Martha's 
engagement  David  Saterlee  seemed  to  have  a  great  deal 
to  do  in  his  room  at  his  writing  desk,  and  there  were  several 
conferences  held  there  while  Herman  was  engaged  uptown 


536  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

in  which  the  Baron  and  Col.  Morgan  took  part;  and  finally 
there  were  produced  with  the  assistance  of  the  Baron's  skill 
as  a  draughtsman,  wonderful  plans  of  an  enlargement  of 
Herman's  home,  (it  now  belonging  to  him  alone,)  and  an 
artistically  designed  annex  connected  with  it  by  a  tile 
covered  corridor  that  resembled  a  Mission  cloister,  in 
which  were  to  be  a  suite  of  rooms  for  the  Fairy  Godfather 
and  a  schoolroom  for  his  godchild.  These  plans  to  be  a 
secret,  and  to  be  carried  out  with  great  expedition  during 
the  wedding  trip,  and  the  remodeled  home  to  be  ready 
to  surprise  and  receive  the  bride  and  groom  on  their  return. 
While  this  was  going  on  all  the  ladies  were  very  busy, 
Martha  about  her  trousseau,  and  Anna  and  Madame  Mun- 
icheisen  and  Beatrice  on  the  bridesmaids'  dresses  of  Anna 
and  Beatrice. 

At  last  the  day  that  was  to  be  the  brightest,  the  happiest 
in  the  lives  of  Martha  and  Herman,  and  whose  brightness 
cast  a  radiance  over  the  long  years  of  a  blessed  union, 
came.  The  wedding  was  at  the  Old  Mission,  and  the  cere 
mony  was  to  be  performed  and  the  nuptial  mass  celebrated 
by  Father  Aloysius.  The  Mission  bells  of  St.  Agnes  had 
always  seemed  to  Herman  to  be  sweeter,  more  mellow,  more 
golden  than  any  he  had  ever  heard  ring  out  from  tower 
or  belfry,  but  in  their  joyous  peal  this  day  they  sent  forth 
an  exultant  outburst  of  tenderness  that  carried  his  spirit 
heavenward.  And  on  that  Southern  midwinter  morning 
when  the  sun  lit  up  the  springtime  landscape  with  a  flood 
of  sparkling  light,  and  the  resplendent  ocean  mirrored  its 
beams,  as  they  tempered  the  breeze  that  stole  over  its 
bosom,  nature  in  its  gala  robes  sang  to  them  a  blessing. 
In  the  presence  of  loyal  and  loving  friends,  in  that  grand 
old  temple  reared  by  the  missionary  friars  and  their  Indian 
wards  that  signified  so  much  of  self-sacrifice  and  holy 
zeal,  sanctified  by  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the  civilization 
of  'a  savage  race,  and  sacred  with  tradition  and  romance, 
before  the  tabernacle  which  had  held  the  sacred  host  since 
Christianity  had  reared  its  cross  in  this  land  of  loveliness, 
in  the  incense  of  true  love,  the  union  of  these  two  lives,  that 
no  man's  hands  had  right  to  sever,  was  sealed,  and  the 
benediction  of  God  rested  on  them. 

As  the  steamer  glided  out  that  evening  through  the  sea- 


WEDDING  BELLS  537 

weed's  girdle  of  burnished  gold,  bearing  away  Herman  and 
Martha  into  their  new  life,  a  group  of  their  friends  stood 
on  the  wharf,  waving  their  handkerchiefs;  except  the  ex 
cited  Highlander,  who  kept  dancing  and  throwing  his  Scotch 
cap  in  the  air,  and  El  Sastro,  who  was  using  his  bandana 
to  dry  his  eyes,  as  he  wept  over  his  deceased  ancestors, 
and  Dr.  Vanderpool,  who  shook  his  glove.  Gen.  Donaldson 
and  our  host  of  the  St.  Louis  stood  together  and  clapped 
their  hands.  Poor  Joe  had  been  brought  down  very  gently 
in  a  carriage  and  drawn  close  to  the  water's  edge,  the  ladies 
and  Capt.  Seymour,  the  Baron,  Col.  Morgan,  the  Fairy 
Godfather,  Herr  Lasalle,  Dr.  Barton  and  Bucknill  gather 
ing  about  him;  and  raising  his  hand,  a  strain  of  harmony 
burst  forth  and  was  borne  across  the  golden  water  to  the 
out-gliding  steamer,  to  where  stood  those  into  whose  hearts 
the  parting  day  had  brought  so  much  of  joy.  And  when  the 
last  notes,  "  Farewell,  farewell,  my  own  true  love,"  died 
away,  soaring  heavenward,  and  borne,  as  if  by  angel 
pinions,  across  the  sea,  came  the  plaintive  words  of  Poor 
Joe's  own  song,  "  Do  not  wound  the  heart  that  loves  thee;" 
and  the  tender  pathos  that  gives  to  happiness  divine  fra 
grance  brought  tears  to  their  eyes,  and  they  asked  from 
God  a  benediction  on  those  who  held  them  so  dear,  and  on 
that  beautiful  valley  fading  from  their  view,  to  which  they 
were  coming  back  to  make  it  the  home  of  their  united  lives, 
that  beloved  spot  rich  in  blessings  to  them  and  peace- 
bringing  to  all,  where  the  footsteps  of  the  padres  fall. 

If  any  reader  of  these  pages  closes  the  book  with  a  shade 
of  regret  that  its  scenes  are  ended  and  its  characters  gone, 
let  him  think  of  the  sadness  in  the  heart  of  Old  Dreams,  as 
he  lays  down  his  quill.  To  wander,  young  again,  in  these 
scenes  and  to  mingle  with  these  characters,  many  in  the 
freshness  of  youth,  now  furrowed  and  whitened  with  age, 
and  many,  upon  whose  footsteps  he  is  closely  treading,  passed 
beyond  life's  border,  has  been  to  feel  once  more  the  aspira 
tions,  the  enthusiasm,  the  zest  of  youth  and  the  keenness 
of  its  joys  and  pleasures,  with  pathos  to  take  the  place  of 
pains,  and  shadows  where  perils  and  hardships  were, —  to 
live  again  the  better  part  of  life  without  a  burden  or  pang 
or  dread.  He  can  no  longer  feel  the  magician's  delight 


588  ROMANCE  ON  EL  CAMINO  REAL 

in  conjuring  living  beings  in  settings  of  life  from  the 
past,  and  if  he  gazes  on  their  visions,  they  are  but  time- 
dimmed  pictures.  He  comes  back  to  his  old  age;  he  feels 
that  his  steps  are  growing  feeble,  and  that  the  Western 
horizon  is  very  near,  and  those  with  furrowed  cheeks  and 
whitened  hair  he  cannot  recognize  as  the  young  of  heart  and 
lithe  of  limb  he  communed  with  in  the  land  he  has  just 
left.  For  a  while  his  solitude  will  be  deeper,  and  a  long 
ing  will  linger  in  his  heart  which  had  been  the  shrine  of 
peace  before  he  took  up  his  magic  wand;  but,  perhaps,  all 
the  sadness,  regret  and  longing  and  the  consciousness  that  he 
is  drawing  near  the  Royal  Highway's  end,  will  blend  as 
minor  notes  into  the  sweet  harmony  he  has  borne  back  with 
him  from  his  sojourn  in  the  ideal  land  of  his  past. 


THE     END 


BOOK  IS 


YC  53226 


691009 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


